NCIS (2003–…): Season 16, Episode 21 - Episode #16.21 - full transcript
Okay, I'm being headhunted.
You're gonna leave NCIS for a
sexy, multimillion dollar job
at one of the coolest
tech companies in the world.
- Come back to bed and warm me up.
- I like the way you think.
I'll get this back
to him tonight.
Then your assignment is over.
End the relationship
immediately.
Then your assignment is over.
End the relationship
immediately.
Your gift
was a recording device.
All right, this stops now.
This is an off-the-books
account.
That's a quarter-billion dollar
slush fund with zero
accountability.
- You traced the account.
- Whose is it?
Your boss.
What's the United States
Secretary of Defense
doing with a quarter
of a billion dollars
in a secret account?
♪ You can't touch this ♪
♪ You can't
touch this ♪
♪ You can't touch this ♪
♪ Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh-oh-oh ♪
♪ You can't touch this... ♪
Hey, hey, hey, listen.
♪ My music makes me so hard ♪
Listen!
♪ Makes me say, "Oh, my Lord" ♪
Ice cream truck!
Dad, Dad, I stole some money.
I'm getting a Klowny Kake bar.
I'll pay you back.
That's coming out
of your allowance, bud.
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, numbnuts.
If you get ice cream,
I get the Nintendo!
Uh, Klowny Kake bar, please.
Thanks.
Ooh.
Mmm, mmm, mmm.
Okay, you two.
It's been three hours,
enough is enough.
Those video games
will rot your brain.
Hey, late to dinner
means no dinner.
Jen. Your mom made roast.
- Where's your brother?
-Lying down.
Says he didn't feel good.
Back there.
Hey, bud, time to get up.
Tommy!
- What's wrong?
- Oh, my God.
Stay back, honey.
Stay back.
Daddy?
Is he okay?
♪ NCIS 16x21 ♪
'Judge, Jury...'
Original Air Date on April 30, 2019
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
Hey, Kase.
You ready for court?
Sorry, uh, I didn't realize
you were praying.
To the "Most Wanted" wall?
I wasn't.
Unless you think
that would help.
Help with what?
Oh, my nerves.
I could really do without
this part of the job.
Oh, well, testifying's
kind of important.
You know, I
dedicate my weekends
to a federal initiative to get
cold-case DNA into the system
and this is what I get?
You mean... justice?
When you say it like that,
I sound a little selfish.
Mm.
I mean, after two months
of rebuilding
a 30-year-old murder case,
the man who poisoned a box
of ice cream bars is finally
going to prison. Doesn't that
help your nerves a little bit?
It makes them worse.
Just so much pressure
to say the right thing
in the right way.
We may not be on trial, but...
we're definitely being judged.
Intense, but courtrooms
are designed to be intimidating.
That's why you got to
go in guilt-free, baby.
Which is why I go to confession
the morning I testify.
Really? What are you
guilty about?
Nothing now. Clean slate.
See, the jury, they sense
a good guy, trustworthy.
That's all that matters.
Yeah, and evidence.
Evidence is a given,
but charm,
well, charm is a gift.
That's why the prosecutor
will choose me to testify
and you to work the
pictures on the easel.
Excuse me?
Well, somebody's got to work the
easel, and it ain't gonna be me.
- Okay, 20 bucks.
- It's a bet.
Okay.
Well, I can see
this is no longer about me.
You'll be fine.
We will all
be fine. Right?
Counselor Hutchins, yes,
I got enough "fine"
for all of us.
I don't know what that means,
but we have been over
everyone's testimony,
and if we present this case in
a calm, orderly fashion, we win.
It's not about winning.
It's about justice.
Which is the whole reason my
office moved up this court date.
Yeah, twice.
The sooner Stuart Crum
goes to prison, the better.
Are you okay, Kase?
Nope.
- Not even in the slightest.
- Good.
Keeps you sharp.
Well, you all have been
thoroughly unhelpful.
Where is McGee
when you need him?
Personal days.
With his wife
and kids.
Again, when you
say it like that,
I sound a little selfish.
Agent McGee,
welcome to Cali,
and welcome to
the splendiferous world
of Splendifida headquarters.
My name is Clarissa. I'm with
HR, and I'll be your tour guide
during your visit.
- Very nice to meet you.
We were so glad
to get your call,
and so glad you're still
considering our job offer.
Oh, yeah.
"Information Requests Liaison."
It's cooler than it sounds.
As a leading provider
of technology devices
and Internet data services,
we handle upwards
of 60,000 data requests
and warrants
from law enforcement
each year.
NCIS was one of them.
Exactly, so who better to lead
our entire division than
a former federal agent?
Well, I don't know
about "former" yet.
Now, before I make my
final decision, I wanted to
spend a couple days
here, you know,
see what this place is about.
- Splendiferous.
We already have your signed
nondisclosure agreement,
so the only thing left to do
is to give you this.
This lanyard is
enabled with our
"Mary Beth" voice assistant.
Anything you need,
just ask.
- Mary Beth, say hello.
- Hello,
NCIS Agent
Timothy Farragut McGee.
Wow.
Pretty cool, huh?
Yeah, specific.
Um, listen,
if it's okay with you,
I'd rather not wear
Mary Beth around my neck.
Everybody has a Mary Beth.
Nothing personal. I'm just,
I'm not a big fan of-of gadgets
that are always
listening and watching.
"Splendifida does not record,
review or compile consumer data
without express consent."
Not to mention,
this lanyard
opens doors,
pays for lunch,
pretty much gives you access
to everything we have to offer.
Agent McGee, think of Mary Beth
as your own personal
Splendifida "cheat code."
Well, in that case...
Up, up, down, down,
left, right, left, right,
B, A, select, start.
Unlimited lives granted!
Let's go.
All right.
All rise.
Hear ye, hear ye.
This court is now in session.
The Honorable Judge
Miles Deakin presiding.
Thank you.
You may be seated.
Our killer got dressed up today.
Mm, you think he went
to confession, too?
Some sins are unforgivable.
Before we begin, I understand
the defense has a request.
Uh, Your Honor,
given the history
of this case,
uh, media attention
has gotten out of hand.
Due to the
crowds outside
of the building,
my client, Mr. Crum,
is asking for
a private entrance
so as to avoid any
undue harassment.
Order.
Are you kidding me?
Order. Order.
Mr. Madson, are you serious?
It seems so, Your Honor.
My client would like
to remind the court
that he does have rights.
What about my son?
Tommy had rights, too!
- Order.
- He had rights,
and you killed my boy!
Murderer!
Order in the court!
You murderer!
Bailiff, I want that man
removed from my courtroom!
- Let's go.
- Murderer!
My son deserves justice!
You murderer!
Murderer!
I'm so sorry, Agent Gibbs.
This whole thing
has reopened some old wounds.
Yeah, well,
some never heal.
Do you have kids?
Had a daughter.
How long ago?
About the same as you.
30 years
is a long time to bleed.
So the judge
kicked me out?
Yeah, and you're lucky it
wasn't contempt or a mistrial.
Your people, NCIS,
will get justice for Tommy?
Not just for him.
So, Agent Bishop,
we are here today
because of
a federal initiative to get
cold-case DNA
into modern systems.
DNA which produced a match
to the defendant,
Stuart Crum. Is that correct?
Yes. If you'll look
to Exhibit A.
The so-called
"1989 Ice Cream
Murder."
Six Klowny Kake ice cream bars
were partially cut open and
laced with strychnine poison.
Five children
fell critically ill.
And Thomas Larson
eventually died.
Yes. It caused
a nationwide panic.
Objection. How can Agent Bishop
speak to something that
happened 30 years ago? Was this
witness even alive in 1989?
Actually, I was.
I was four years old,
and I vividly remember
my father forbidding
me and my brothers
from running out
to the ice cream truck.
Still object, Counselor?
Where did NCIS--
then called N.I.S.--
originally find the DNA?
A hair follicle was found
in one of the wrappers
of the poisoned
ice cream bar,
but of course, there was
no database back then.
Now there is, and you get
a match to Mr. Crum.
What happens next?
Well, we interviewed witnesses,
pulled records,
and we confronted Mr. Crum.
And what did
Mr. Crum say?
He confessed.
To everything.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Mr. Madson?
Agent Bishop...
was Stuart Crum
ever a suspect in 1989?
No. Only in 2019,
after the DNA match.
And during your interrogation,
did Mr. Crum appear
anxious or scared?
- Yes.
After Special Agents Gibbs
and Sloane laid out
the mountain of evidence
against him.
That's usually how it works.
Ice cream?
I hate ice cream.
Interesting, Stuart.
So, how did your DNA
get inside the wrapper
of a poisoned ice cream bar?
What do you
want me to say, huh?
- That I did it?
- Yeah. That works for us.
I wanted those kids
to get sick, okay?
But it was 30 years ago
and only one of the kids died.
Agent Sloane,
does Mr. Crum
appear at all
remorseful to you?
- No.
Thank you.
Mr. Madson?
Agent Sloane...
just because my client
was an underpaid
truck driver,
that makes him
a killer?
At the time of the poisoning,
Mr. Crum was in a dead-end job.
His wife had just left him
for a Naval officer,
and he was angry,
alone and seemingly powerless
over life in general.
In your opinion.
In my professional opinion.
He wanted to
reassert himself.
So he took industrial rat poison
from his workplace,
and used it
to create public panic.
It made him feel good.
In control.
Like God.
Do you know what this is?
A blank piece of paper.
This... is Mr. Crum's
criminal record.
Because...
he has none.
He was a suspect in a robbery
two years ago.
Mr. Crum was
never charged,
and Maryland police issued
a full apology.
Sociopaths love gratification.
Agent Sloane, if my client
is the violent, cunning,
and malicious killer
you accuse him of being,
why is his life
a clean slate?
Let me be clear.
I do not think that Mr. Crum
is a serial killer.
Thank you,
Agent Sloane.
No further questions.
For some killers,
once is enough.
Officer Clark, come in.
Director Vance.
Is Gibbs joining us?
No, he's in court.
I don't like this.
My coming to NCIS
draws attention.
All due respect, Director,
it's been weeks
since I came to you and
Gibbs asking for help.
And now, there's nothing.
This is my job.
Maybe even my life
that's on the line with this.
I'm well aware.
There's $250 million
sitting in an offshore account
in the Caymans.
- I remember.
- And no one knows
who's using it
because the only name
associated with it
is the United States
Secretary of Defense.
This goes right
to the top.
And we can't exactly
go straight to SecDef, can we?
No, sir.
Or pull
Pentagon records,
or even breathe in the general
direction of that account
until we know more,
Officer Clark.
So you've been
thinking about it.
- More than thinking.
- So you have a plan?
Last time we talked,
you called us the "good guys."
Don't the good guys
always have a plan?
We have an inside man
looking into account records
via a back door as we speak.
So... we're here,
Gibbs is in court...
Where's this "inside man"?
California.
Oh... this is so nice.
We've found that
frequent napping
actually boosts productivity.
Does NCIS have a break room?
Three vending machines
and a microwave.
Our 24-hour commissary offers
a wide variety
of fresh produce
and made-to-order meals.
I could get used to this.
It's time for your visit
to the consumer
electronics division.
Ready to go?
You know what?
I was, uh,
I was actually hoping
we could maybe tour
Government Cloud Services.
Why?
I mean, like most
major data players
such as Amazon
and Google,
we do have Pentagon contracts.
But next to product R&D,
U.I. development,
our self-driving car test track,
an empty server room
feels pretty boring.
Yeah. You know, I'm just--
I'm super curious
to see what kind of zero-trust
model you implement.
As you know,
perimeter-centric technologies
are only half of InfoSec
these days.
Of course. Right.
Uh, I guess I could
have Mary Beth add it
to tomorrow's events.
That would be great.
Thank you.
Done.
- Shall we move on?
- Please, after you.
How reliable
was this DNA
evidence? I mean,
it's from 1989, right?
Hair root tissue does not
degrade if it's well preserved.
And this was kept in
an environmentally-controlled,
secure evidence locker.
So, this was a
"good" sample?
Put it this way:
I dream of many things--
of world peace,
space travel,
cohosting a podcast
with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
But as a forensic scientist,
a DNA sample this clean
is at the top of my list.
Thank you very much, Ms. Hines.
Mr. Madson, your witness.
Oh, boy...
Yes.
Mr. Madson, we're waiting.
Um, no questions, Your Honor.
Ms. Hines, you may step down.
Oh. For real?
Yes.
Uh, sidebar, Your Honor?
Please.
What happened?
Did-did I mess up?
- No. No, you didn't.
- What's going on?
Uh, ladies and gentlemen,
in light of new information,
I'm suppressing
all DNA evidence.
Further, I'm going to strike
any DNA-related testimony,
including the testimony
we just heard from Ms. Hines.
I messed up.
- No, you didn't.
- Gibbs.
Your Honor.
How did this happen?
It has been established
that DNA evidence is the only
reason NCIS found my client.
It is fruit of
the poisonous tree
and so is everything
after that.
I move for
an immediate mistrial.
Ms. Hutchins?
Your Honor, you cannot
let this man walk.
He confessed to murder.
Which is no longer admissible.
Do you have any legal grounds
to object?
No, Your Honor.
Then the motion is granted.
Mr. Crum, you're free to go.
What a nightmare.
How did this get missed?
I was wondering the same thing.
Oh, don't put
this on me.
Hey, I don't know
what "this" is.
I do know
a guilty man just walked free.
Stuart Crum's DNA
should never have been
in the database.
It's there now.
When Crum was questioned
in the robbery two years ago,
he gave a DNA sample,
which eventually cleared him
of all charges.
Per an amendment
to subtitle five
of the Maryland police code,
that sample
should've been destroyed.
But it wasn't, Judge.
- No.
- Instead, Maryland police
mistakenly added it to CODIS,
allowing NCIS
to get a hit,
which legally,
never should have happened.
No DNA, no Crum.
No Crum,
no confession.
I was bound by law
to declare a mistrial.
Colt, what's happening
out there?
Press still roaming
the halls.
You got food and water
for a few days?
If only more people understood
that the scales of justice
are rarely balanced.
Never gets easier to stomach.
No.
But... Ms. Hutchins, you
and NCIS have to start all over.
Without knowing that
Stuart Crum exists.
That's impossible.
That's the law.
For better or worse.
Worse.
Look, I'll do what I can to
help, but I cannot give
the appellate court
grounds for overturning.
It's got to be done
by the book.
If you can make a case at all.
Clearly, the law works.
Innocent until
proven guilty. Well,
I do look forward
to a full apology
from the U.S. attorney's office
and NCIS.
And that's all I have
to say for here.
For appearances or,
uh, interviews, please just,
just contact my lawyer.
What do you have to say for
yourself now, Agent Gibbs?
- My son's killer's going free!
- We'll get him.
You said that already.
How would you feel
if he killed your kid?
Am I supposed to just
forget the face of the man
that took my child?
- No.
Then if you don't make
Crum pay, I will!
One way or the other!
You don't want to do that.
It's not a matter
of want!
It's need, because
you can't do your job!
Get out of the way.
Get out of my way, get! Move!
Bet's a bet.
No. Winning is no longer fun.
This is a
30-year-old case.
We were lucky to get
what we had before.
All we need is another
way to get his DNA.
Let's follow him.
That's illegal.
We have to forget
that we know him, remember?
That's crazy. I mean, we know
where the treasure is buried.
We can't dig!
The treasure confessed.
Let's go through his trash.
We can't.
Well, it wouldn't be the first
time we bend the rules
just a little bit.
We're not giving
his lawyer ammunition.
That guy does not go free again.
Amen.
Okay, so...
how do we do that?
Well, start with getting that
off the screen.
This is incredible.
How is it sensing my hands
without gloves?
Until you're an employee,
I can only show you the magic.
And these babies don't hit
the market until late 2020.
Gonna be hard to wait.
I've tasted the forbidden fruit.
Well, if you sign
start paperwork,
you'll be able to join a beta
testing group right away.
What do you say? Ready
to become a "Splendid"?
Oh.
Uh, just give me one sec.
I got to take this.
Bishop, hey. What's wrong?
How do you know
something's wrong?
Well, you never call me
on personal days.
I used to like that about you.
I know, I know, I'm sorry.
I just--
Things are bad here.
Is there any way you can come
into the office to help out?
Uh, no, not really.
Okay. Okay. Never mind.
Why? What happened?
No, I-I don't want to tell you.
I don't want you
to think about it
while you're with your family.
Well, I wouldn't
hold your breath.
How can I help you, Agent McGee?
McGee. Was that a Mary Beth?
Um, yes.
I thought you hated
those things.
Privacy issues and all.
And why is she calling you
"Agent McGee"?
Um, it's a power thing.
Attention, all you Splendids,
the Taco Tuesday truck
is now open on the south lawn.
Tacos? McGee, where are you?
I got to go, Bishop. Johnny just
threw up on the settee.
The "settee"?
Yeah, it's a thing.
Tacos.
Yo, this is evil.
Seriously, Ducky,
you can't expect us to
go through all of these.
Each one of those files
represents an NCIS investigation
where the accused went free
on a legal technicality
or mistake.
It's meant to be enlightening.
Okay, great, except
it's depressing.
Well, this is the job.
Time to get back
in the game, folks.
A lot of these cases
have been successfully retried.
Okay, so you think there's
something useful in here?
Something to help us
bring down Stuart Crum?
Yep.
No, I'm with Nick.
This is just depressing.
Man, what are we even doing?
Banging our heads
against the wall?
So, let's keep banging
until we break through.
Yeah. Otherwise...
Mr. Crum will remain a free man.
Stay on him.
My man, we got next!
Mmm.
Hey, you got to box out
on the rebound!
Hey, man.
Park police found
the body this morning.
Dead gets us DNA now.
Oh, yeah.
You know, if I was a songwriter,
I'd write a song about today.
It'd be something
really catchy.
Yeah, nothing like dancing
to the untimely death
of a child murderer.
Untimely? Come on.
The guy decided to
celebrate going free
and took too many happy pills.
Uh, we won't know the
official cause of death
until autopsy, Nick.
I'll give you
the cause of death.
That looks like oxycodone.
And there's a dead body
next to it.
Well... pinpoint
pupils, cotton mouth.
They are consistent
with an overdose.
Karma?
Karma, luck, whatever.
The universe just
balanced a scale.
Saved us time and
the taxpayers' money.
I'd say it's a pretty good day.
- - There's no vomit.
What?
It's the body's
natural defense system
when it ingests something bad.
Usually, when there's an
accidental overdose,
the body tries to
expel the drugs.
This man did not vomit.
So, what are you saying, Jimmy?
I am saying we should
wait until autopsy.
Well, our previous
investigation into Crum
showed no history
of drug use.
Oh, come on, we're not
calling this guy a victim.
Come on, nobody cares
about this guy.
Hey, it's not about him.
It's about justice, yeah,
but this feels like
natural justice.
It's our job to find out.
Well, an accidental OD so soon
after going free
does seem a wee bit convenient.
Yeah, it's convenient.
We get to tell Tommy's dad
that the killer's dead.
Isn't that what he wanted?
That's the problem.
If this wasn't an accident, the
dad becomes our lead suspect.
Right. Let's make sure.
Blood came back.
Crum had enough oxy
in his system to drop a rhino.
- Hardly a recreational dose.
- Hmm.
Hairline fracture?
On Crum's left clavicle,
to go along with the slight
bruising on his neck.
Someone choked this guy out,
then force-fed him?
Wish I could say otherwise.
Oh, murder is murder.
If somebody killed this guy,
it's wrong, Jimmy.
Yeah, but he was, like, an
exceptionally bad person.
Yeah, you're talking to the
woman who just confirmed
that he was
the Ice Cream Killer.
While our current justice system
is far, far from perfect,
it's better than
blind vengeance.
It has to be, right?
And we have dedicated
our lives to it.
So we treat this like
the crime it is,
and we call this man a victim.
So? What do you got, Doctor?
Right. Our victim was killed
between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m.
last night.
But there's nothing
on his body or in his car
to tell us who the killer was.
How about you?
Uh, other than
his own fingerprints,
the only thing at his home
was electronics.
Laptop, phone...
It's time for both of us
to dig a little deeper
into Mr. Stuart Crum.
Me figuratively
and you literally.
And justice for all.
Federal agents!
NCIS! Kyle Larson!
Mr. Larson?
Yeah? Down here.
I saw it on the news.
Crum was murdered.
News didn't say murder.
But I made very public threats,
and, uh, now you're here, right?
This is the same basement
your son died.
Ah, I got the house
in the divorce.
- You sleep down here?
-Sometimes.
When I see Tommy in my dreams,
it can take a while
to figure out it isn't real,
but if I wake up
down here,
like a bucket of cold water.
Does drinking help?
Rarely, but I've stopped now.
- Since when?
- Last night.
What changed last night?
These yours?
I had back surgery.
Pain just still comes and goes.
Agent Gibbs,
whatever I said to you
in that courthouse,
I promise I didn't kill
Stuart Crum.
Help us prove it.
Where were you last night?
Down here.
Right. Not drinking.
Anybody who can verify that?
I've wanted to kill the man who
killed my family for 30 years.
Now that he's dead, feels good,
but I didn't do it.
Even if I did,
could you blame me, really?
Alibi.
I have one,
I swear.
I just don't want you
to go and ruin things.
What things?
All right. Mary Beth,
please open the door
to section 117.
Agent McGee, you are
one hour and 22 minutes early
for this part of your tour.
- Yes, I know.
- Open the door.
- No problem.
Yes.
I will alert Clarissa
that you have arrived.
No, no.
Ooh, all right.
Thank you, Director.
Agent McGee, Clarissa
says she is on her way.
I really hate you, Mary Beth.
I'm sorry you feel
that way, Agent McGee.
Was it something I said?
- Oh, this isn't good.
- No, I'm good.
Agent McGee?
Are you in there?
Good morning. I didn't know
you were coming in early.
Well, I was so excited,
I couldn't get any sleep.
Said nobody ever about
Government Cloud Services.
Did you see everything
you wanted to see?
Totally, totally.
I love how Splendifida secures
critical information
assets at the source
and not just
the perimeter.
Do you have a bathroom
around here?
Oh, down the hall
to your right.
Great. Oh, uh, would you
mind holding this.
Don't want it to fall in.
Yes, I called my father
last night around 9:00 p.m.
He was hesitant to admit that,
Ms. Larson.
Call me Jen.
And it's probably because
it was the first time
the two of us had spoken
in ten years,
since Mom's funeral.
Wasn't an easy call to make.
He's been out of my life
for a long time.
We were all
devastated
by Tommy's death.
I mean,
I watched my older
brother die, but...
losing Tommy broke Dad.
He was all anger
all the time, so
Mom left and she
took me with her.
What changed last night?
Since the mistrial,
I've been angry.
I mean, so angry
that I didn't know
what to do.
Uh, which is when I
realized that that's what
Dad's been feeling
for the last 30 years.
That same anger.
And I-I'm not saying
that he's right
to carry it with him
all that time, just that...
I finally
understood it.
So...
I reached out to tell him that.
Need to get that?
It's work.
It can wait.
So, you're a lawyer.
A public defender.
Dedicated your life to justice.
Well... like I said,
Tommy's death affected us
all differently.
So, phone records show
your call lasted 27 minutes.
Well, that call
was just the start
of a very long road
to redemption.
What?
Is that bad?
Crum's murder was between
9:00 and 11:00.
It's a two-hour window.
No... uh, that call
helped Dad's anger.
He even said if
I keep calling,
he'd stop drinking;
it's not like he hung up
the phone and went
on a killing spree.
You can't let
this fall on him.
That man has been through hell.
Apologies for the interruption.
Gibbs, a word?
You keep calling your dad, Jen.
We'll handle the rest.
Agent McGee has news.
I called Officer
Clark to come in
but he refuses
to meet us here.
He's CIA,
his job to be cautious.
Yeah, unless it borders on paranoia.
Okay, well, let's go someplace
where he's comfortable.
All right.
It's open!
Director, Gibbs.
Sorry I'm late; I'm pretty sure
I was being followed.
By whom?
Well, could be
anyone at this point.
So this, this phone
call better be helpful.
Agent McGee.
Would you please tell Officer
Clark what you just told us?
I was tasked with accessing
government records.
Specifically SecDef's
offshore account.
And what did
our inside man find?
Well, after a $3 million
withdrawal last night,
the account was then closed.
Closed? By who?
I have no idea.
There's no transfer record.
And I don't know who
withdrew that money, either.
So where did the rest
of the $250 million go?
- We also don't know that.
- Damn it.
They know we're digging.
Yes and we're gonna keep digging
until we know more.
Get back into
the records, McGee.
You hear me, McGee?
Uh...
I hear you,
boss, but, um...
it may be kind of difficult.
Well, why?
I think I'm being arrested.
Did you know McGee
was in California?
No.
Did you know about SecDef's
secret offshore account?
You mean the one with
$250 million in it? No.
What I don't get
is what Vance wants us
to do about it now
that McGee's been caught.
That's what you don't get?
How could Gibbs keep
something this big from us?
Well, Gibbs
is gonna want answers,
not hard feelings.
- Answers on McGee
or answers on our
killer, Stuart Crum?
Both.
What do we know?
Well, nothing new
on either case.
Yeah, Kase. Yeah, we're
all on our way down.
Come on.
Go.
Please pull down
your lap bars for the
mother of all good news/
bad news roller coasters.
Good news:
I got into Crum's laptop.
Oh. And the bad news?
It was wiped clean sometime
before he was killed, no help.
Is there any more good news?
Well, there's
still a way to find
a threatening e-mail
or phone call that could
lead us to our killer,
because, like half of America,
Crum had an online
backup service.
So all we have to do
is ask Splendifida
for his cloud data.
Hmm. Splendifida.
Yeah, that's not gonna work.
Mm, that was the good news.
Tech companies work
with the police all the time.
Unless they catch
one of your agents
snooping in their servers.
Is that a euphemism?
Look, if we want Crum's data
without a fight,
we're gonna
have to get a warrant.
How is that gonna help McGee?
Well, it doesn't.
It'll probably piss the
company off even more.
I mean, this could cause
a legal nightmare, Gibbs.
That works.
Yeah. Hey.
Hmm.
Were you ever considering
our job offer, Agent McGee?
Or was it all a front
to steal information?
I didn't steal anything.
Look, you confiscated my
phone, you searched my person.
Thoroughly, thank you.
You have no right to hold me.
Clearly you didn't read
the terms and conditions
of your nondisclosure agreement.
Oh, come on,
no one reads those things.
You don't say a word.
This is Clarissa Bondurant
with Splendifida
Human Resources,
with whom am I speaking?
Oh, I see.
Hello, sir, I--
A warrant?
Is this related to--
Yes, it just came through
on my e-mail.
But as to the matter
of Agent McGee,
we caught him looking through
secure government servers.
Evidence? Well, no, but...
No, sir. However, I...
You, too.
Agent McGee, you are free to go.
I am?
With the understanding that you
no longer have a job offer
and will no longer be permitted
to purchase any Splendifida
products or services
directly from the company.
Wow.
Agent Gibbs said all that?
Who's Agent Gibbs?
NCIS thanks you for fast-tracking
our warrant, Judge Deakin.
I did tell Agent
Gibbs I'd help.
And as for getting
our agent off the hook...
I threw a little legal jargon
around, you're lucky it worked.
Not exactly by the book,
but not illegal, either.
Technicalities
work both ways, Judge.
I suppose you're right.
- We done here?
- Yes, go.
You'll have to excuse him,
Judge.
NCIS still has a killer to find.
I may have grossly
underestimated Agent Gibbs.
He doesn't quit.
This was your idea, Kasie Hines.
You made Leroy Jethro Gibbs
get a warrant for this data.
You will find something useful.
Question is,
Kasie Hines,
have you?
- No, there is nothing
in these e-mails
but more
bad news.
- Mm-hmm.
So why are
you smiling?
Because McGee
was right.
- About what?
- Mary Beth is always listening.
Well, yeah,
he's preached that gospel
to me more
than a few times.
But how does this
relate to Stuart Crum?
So, when we searched
Crum's house,
I noticed
Mary Beth devices all over.
And now that NCIS has all
that Splendifida data...
You were able to test
McGee's phobia.
Mm-hmm.
Not only did a few
audio devices
"accidentally" record...
Something the company
swears their devices never do.
...a video-enabled Mary Beth on
the kitchen counter triggered
and "accidentally"
caught this.
Ooh, somebody's creeping.
Oh, tell me it's not
that poor dad.
It's not Kyle Larson.
That's the bailiff from court.
What's he doing there?
I think we should ask.
You going somewhere, Colt?
- No.
Well, that's funny.
'Cause airport security stopped
you on your way to Germany.
You caught me.
I like schnitzel.
You were at Crum's house.
Cell phone towers
put you at the park
at his time of death.
We know you killed him.
Who were you calling?
I've spent years in courtrooms
watching people
abuse the system.
The system
was supposed
to protect the innocent,
not free the guilty.
To balance the scales,
sometimes you have
to apply pressure.
Did you?
It's time I avail myself
of that very same system.
Guess that's one
of the perks of the job.
I know good lawyers.
It's time I called one.
Now.
Yes, thank you.
So, as much
as I love schnitzel,
I don't think this guy
went to Germany for the food.
According to the FAA,
our bailiff
was about to board
a private charter.
- Expensive trip.
- Yeah, how'd he pay for it?
Oh, I know, I know. Pick me.
Apparently,
our bailiff
had $3 million
waiting for him in Berlin.
It was transferred
last night
at 11:05.
That's right after
Crum was killed.
It's almost like...
our bailiff was paid
for killing Crum.
If he was, that would...
That would make this a hit.
Who paid him?
Oh, you're gonna love this one.
Our hit man was paid with money
from SecDef's secret account?
That's the withdrawal
that McGee found.
How the hell is a hit
on a low-life murderer
connected to a quarter-billion
dollars of dark money?
- Got no idea.
- Yeah.
I'll call Clark.
Have him meet us.
Yeah, it's Vance.
- Federal agents!
- In here.
Mallory?
Leon.
I'm unarmed.
Hands.
It's not what you think.
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
You're gonna leave NCIS for a
sexy, multimillion dollar job
at one of the coolest
tech companies in the world.
- Come back to bed and warm me up.
- I like the way you think.
I'll get this back
to him tonight.
Then your assignment is over.
End the relationship
immediately.
Then your assignment is over.
End the relationship
immediately.
Your gift
was a recording device.
All right, this stops now.
This is an off-the-books
account.
That's a quarter-billion dollar
slush fund with zero
accountability.
- You traced the account.
- Whose is it?
Your boss.
What's the United States
Secretary of Defense
doing with a quarter
of a billion dollars
in a secret account?
♪ You can't touch this ♪
♪ You can't
touch this ♪
♪ You can't touch this ♪
♪ Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh-oh-oh ♪
♪ You can't touch this... ♪
Hey, hey, hey, listen.
♪ My music makes me so hard ♪
Listen!
♪ Makes me say, "Oh, my Lord" ♪
Ice cream truck!
Dad, Dad, I stole some money.
I'm getting a Klowny Kake bar.
I'll pay you back.
That's coming out
of your allowance, bud.
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, numbnuts.
If you get ice cream,
I get the Nintendo!
Uh, Klowny Kake bar, please.
Thanks.
Ooh.
Mmm, mmm, mmm.
Okay, you two.
It's been three hours,
enough is enough.
Those video games
will rot your brain.
Hey, late to dinner
means no dinner.
Jen. Your mom made roast.
- Where's your brother?
-Lying down.
Says he didn't feel good.
Back there.
Hey, bud, time to get up.
Tommy!
- What's wrong?
- Oh, my God.
Stay back, honey.
Stay back.
Daddy?
Is he okay?
♪ NCIS 16x21 ♪
'Judge, Jury...'
Original Air Date on April 30, 2019
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man
Hey, Kase.
You ready for court?
Sorry, uh, I didn't realize
you were praying.
To the "Most Wanted" wall?
I wasn't.
Unless you think
that would help.
Help with what?
Oh, my nerves.
I could really do without
this part of the job.
Oh, well, testifying's
kind of important.
You know, I
dedicate my weekends
to a federal initiative to get
cold-case DNA into the system
and this is what I get?
You mean... justice?
When you say it like that,
I sound a little selfish.
Mm.
I mean, after two months
of rebuilding
a 30-year-old murder case,
the man who poisoned a box
of ice cream bars is finally
going to prison. Doesn't that
help your nerves a little bit?
It makes them worse.
Just so much pressure
to say the right thing
in the right way.
We may not be on trial, but...
we're definitely being judged.
Intense, but courtrooms
are designed to be intimidating.
That's why you got to
go in guilt-free, baby.
Which is why I go to confession
the morning I testify.
Really? What are you
guilty about?
Nothing now. Clean slate.
See, the jury, they sense
a good guy, trustworthy.
That's all that matters.
Yeah, and evidence.
Evidence is a given,
but charm,
well, charm is a gift.
That's why the prosecutor
will choose me to testify
and you to work the
pictures on the easel.
Excuse me?
Well, somebody's got to work the
easel, and it ain't gonna be me.
- Okay, 20 bucks.
- It's a bet.
Okay.
Well, I can see
this is no longer about me.
You'll be fine.
We will all
be fine. Right?
Counselor Hutchins, yes,
I got enough "fine"
for all of us.
I don't know what that means,
but we have been over
everyone's testimony,
and if we present this case in
a calm, orderly fashion, we win.
It's not about winning.
It's about justice.
Which is the whole reason my
office moved up this court date.
Yeah, twice.
The sooner Stuart Crum
goes to prison, the better.
Are you okay, Kase?
Nope.
- Not even in the slightest.
- Good.
Keeps you sharp.
Well, you all have been
thoroughly unhelpful.
Where is McGee
when you need him?
Personal days.
With his wife
and kids.
Again, when you
say it like that,
I sound a little selfish.
Agent McGee,
welcome to Cali,
and welcome to
the splendiferous world
of Splendifida headquarters.
My name is Clarissa. I'm with
HR, and I'll be your tour guide
during your visit.
- Very nice to meet you.
We were so glad
to get your call,
and so glad you're still
considering our job offer.
Oh, yeah.
"Information Requests Liaison."
It's cooler than it sounds.
As a leading provider
of technology devices
and Internet data services,
we handle upwards
of 60,000 data requests
and warrants
from law enforcement
each year.
NCIS was one of them.
Exactly, so who better to lead
our entire division than
a former federal agent?
Well, I don't know
about "former" yet.
Now, before I make my
final decision, I wanted to
spend a couple days
here, you know,
see what this place is about.
- Splendiferous.
We already have your signed
nondisclosure agreement,
so the only thing left to do
is to give you this.
This lanyard is
enabled with our
"Mary Beth" voice assistant.
Anything you need,
just ask.
- Mary Beth, say hello.
- Hello,
NCIS Agent
Timothy Farragut McGee.
Wow.
Pretty cool, huh?
Yeah, specific.
Um, listen,
if it's okay with you,
I'd rather not wear
Mary Beth around my neck.
Everybody has a Mary Beth.
Nothing personal. I'm just,
I'm not a big fan of-of gadgets
that are always
listening and watching.
"Splendifida does not record,
review or compile consumer data
without express consent."
Not to mention,
this lanyard
opens doors,
pays for lunch,
pretty much gives you access
to everything we have to offer.
Agent McGee, think of Mary Beth
as your own personal
Splendifida "cheat code."
Well, in that case...
Up, up, down, down,
left, right, left, right,
B, A, select, start.
Unlimited lives granted!
Let's go.
All right.
All rise.
Hear ye, hear ye.
This court is now in session.
The Honorable Judge
Miles Deakin presiding.
Thank you.
You may be seated.
Our killer got dressed up today.
Mm, you think he went
to confession, too?
Some sins are unforgivable.
Before we begin, I understand
the defense has a request.
Uh, Your Honor,
given the history
of this case,
uh, media attention
has gotten out of hand.
Due to the
crowds outside
of the building,
my client, Mr. Crum,
is asking for
a private entrance
so as to avoid any
undue harassment.
Order.
Are you kidding me?
Order. Order.
Mr. Madson, are you serious?
It seems so, Your Honor.
My client would like
to remind the court
that he does have rights.
What about my son?
Tommy had rights, too!
- Order.
- He had rights,
and you killed my boy!
Murderer!
Order in the court!
You murderer!
Bailiff, I want that man
removed from my courtroom!
- Let's go.
- Murderer!
My son deserves justice!
You murderer!
Murderer!
I'm so sorry, Agent Gibbs.
This whole thing
has reopened some old wounds.
Yeah, well,
some never heal.
Do you have kids?
Had a daughter.
How long ago?
About the same as you.
30 years
is a long time to bleed.
So the judge
kicked me out?
Yeah, and you're lucky it
wasn't contempt or a mistrial.
Your people, NCIS,
will get justice for Tommy?
Not just for him.
So, Agent Bishop,
we are here today
because of
a federal initiative to get
cold-case DNA
into modern systems.
DNA which produced a match
to the defendant,
Stuart Crum. Is that correct?
Yes. If you'll look
to Exhibit A.
The so-called
"1989 Ice Cream
Murder."
Six Klowny Kake ice cream bars
were partially cut open and
laced with strychnine poison.
Five children
fell critically ill.
And Thomas Larson
eventually died.
Yes. It caused
a nationwide panic.
Objection. How can Agent Bishop
speak to something that
happened 30 years ago? Was this
witness even alive in 1989?
Actually, I was.
I was four years old,
and I vividly remember
my father forbidding
me and my brothers
from running out
to the ice cream truck.
Still object, Counselor?
Where did NCIS--
then called N.I.S.--
originally find the DNA?
A hair follicle was found
in one of the wrappers
of the poisoned
ice cream bar,
but of course, there was
no database back then.
Now there is, and you get
a match to Mr. Crum.
What happens next?
Well, we interviewed witnesses,
pulled records,
and we confronted Mr. Crum.
And what did
Mr. Crum say?
He confessed.
To everything.
Thank you.
No further questions.
Mr. Madson?
Agent Bishop...
was Stuart Crum
ever a suspect in 1989?
No. Only in 2019,
after the DNA match.
And during your interrogation,
did Mr. Crum appear
anxious or scared?
- Yes.
After Special Agents Gibbs
and Sloane laid out
the mountain of evidence
against him.
That's usually how it works.
Ice cream?
I hate ice cream.
Interesting, Stuart.
So, how did your DNA
get inside the wrapper
of a poisoned ice cream bar?
What do you
want me to say, huh?
- That I did it?
- Yeah. That works for us.
I wanted those kids
to get sick, okay?
But it was 30 years ago
and only one of the kids died.
Agent Sloane,
does Mr. Crum
appear at all
remorseful to you?
- No.
Thank you.
Mr. Madson?
Agent Sloane...
just because my client
was an underpaid
truck driver,
that makes him
a killer?
At the time of the poisoning,
Mr. Crum was in a dead-end job.
His wife had just left him
for a Naval officer,
and he was angry,
alone and seemingly powerless
over life in general.
In your opinion.
In my professional opinion.
He wanted to
reassert himself.
So he took industrial rat poison
from his workplace,
and used it
to create public panic.
It made him feel good.
In control.
Like God.
Do you know what this is?
A blank piece of paper.
This... is Mr. Crum's
criminal record.
Because...
he has none.
He was a suspect in a robbery
two years ago.
Mr. Crum was
never charged,
and Maryland police issued
a full apology.
Sociopaths love gratification.
Agent Sloane, if my client
is the violent, cunning,
and malicious killer
you accuse him of being,
why is his life
a clean slate?
Let me be clear.
I do not think that Mr. Crum
is a serial killer.
Thank you,
Agent Sloane.
No further questions.
For some killers,
once is enough.
Officer Clark, come in.
Director Vance.
Is Gibbs joining us?
No, he's in court.
I don't like this.
My coming to NCIS
draws attention.
All due respect, Director,
it's been weeks
since I came to you and
Gibbs asking for help.
And now, there's nothing.
This is my job.
Maybe even my life
that's on the line with this.
I'm well aware.
There's $250 million
sitting in an offshore account
in the Caymans.
- I remember.
- And no one knows
who's using it
because the only name
associated with it
is the United States
Secretary of Defense.
This goes right
to the top.
And we can't exactly
go straight to SecDef, can we?
No, sir.
Or pull
Pentagon records,
or even breathe in the general
direction of that account
until we know more,
Officer Clark.
So you've been
thinking about it.
- More than thinking.
- So you have a plan?
Last time we talked,
you called us the "good guys."
Don't the good guys
always have a plan?
We have an inside man
looking into account records
via a back door as we speak.
So... we're here,
Gibbs is in court...
Where's this "inside man"?
California.
Oh... this is so nice.
We've found that
frequent napping
actually boosts productivity.
Does NCIS have a break room?
Three vending machines
and a microwave.
Our 24-hour commissary offers
a wide variety
of fresh produce
and made-to-order meals.
I could get used to this.
It's time for your visit
to the consumer
electronics division.
Ready to go?
You know what?
I was, uh,
I was actually hoping
we could maybe tour
Government Cloud Services.
Why?
I mean, like most
major data players
such as Amazon
and Google,
we do have Pentagon contracts.
But next to product R&D,
U.I. development,
our self-driving car test track,
an empty server room
feels pretty boring.
Yeah. You know, I'm just--
I'm super curious
to see what kind of zero-trust
model you implement.
As you know,
perimeter-centric technologies
are only half of InfoSec
these days.
Of course. Right.
Uh, I guess I could
have Mary Beth add it
to tomorrow's events.
That would be great.
Thank you.
Done.
- Shall we move on?
- Please, after you.
How reliable
was this DNA
evidence? I mean,
it's from 1989, right?
Hair root tissue does not
degrade if it's well preserved.
And this was kept in
an environmentally-controlled,
secure evidence locker.
So, this was a
"good" sample?
Put it this way:
I dream of many things--
of world peace,
space travel,
cohosting a podcast
with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
But as a forensic scientist,
a DNA sample this clean
is at the top of my list.
Thank you very much, Ms. Hines.
Mr. Madson, your witness.
Oh, boy...
Yes.
Mr. Madson, we're waiting.
Um, no questions, Your Honor.
Ms. Hines, you may step down.
Oh. For real?
Yes.
Uh, sidebar, Your Honor?
Please.
What happened?
Did-did I mess up?
- No. No, you didn't.
- What's going on?
Uh, ladies and gentlemen,
in light of new information,
I'm suppressing
all DNA evidence.
Further, I'm going to strike
any DNA-related testimony,
including the testimony
we just heard from Ms. Hines.
I messed up.
- No, you didn't.
- Gibbs.
Your Honor.
How did this happen?
It has been established
that DNA evidence is the only
reason NCIS found my client.
It is fruit of
the poisonous tree
and so is everything
after that.
I move for
an immediate mistrial.
Ms. Hutchins?
Your Honor, you cannot
let this man walk.
He confessed to murder.
Which is no longer admissible.
Do you have any legal grounds
to object?
No, Your Honor.
Then the motion is granted.
Mr. Crum, you're free to go.
What a nightmare.
How did this get missed?
I was wondering the same thing.
Oh, don't put
this on me.
Hey, I don't know
what "this" is.
I do know
a guilty man just walked free.
Stuart Crum's DNA
should never have been
in the database.
It's there now.
When Crum was questioned
in the robbery two years ago,
he gave a DNA sample,
which eventually cleared him
of all charges.
Per an amendment
to subtitle five
of the Maryland police code,
that sample
should've been destroyed.
But it wasn't, Judge.
- No.
- Instead, Maryland police
mistakenly added it to CODIS,
allowing NCIS
to get a hit,
which legally,
never should have happened.
No DNA, no Crum.
No Crum,
no confession.
I was bound by law
to declare a mistrial.
Colt, what's happening
out there?
Press still roaming
the halls.
You got food and water
for a few days?
If only more people understood
that the scales of justice
are rarely balanced.
Never gets easier to stomach.
No.
But... Ms. Hutchins, you
and NCIS have to start all over.
Without knowing that
Stuart Crum exists.
That's impossible.
That's the law.
For better or worse.
Worse.
Look, I'll do what I can to
help, but I cannot give
the appellate court
grounds for overturning.
It's got to be done
by the book.
If you can make a case at all.
Clearly, the law works.
Innocent until
proven guilty. Well,
I do look forward
to a full apology
from the U.S. attorney's office
and NCIS.
And that's all I have
to say for here.
For appearances or,
uh, interviews, please just,
just contact my lawyer.
What do you have to say for
yourself now, Agent Gibbs?
- My son's killer's going free!
- We'll get him.
You said that already.
How would you feel
if he killed your kid?
Am I supposed to just
forget the face of the man
that took my child?
- No.
Then if you don't make
Crum pay, I will!
One way or the other!
You don't want to do that.
It's not a matter
of want!
It's need, because
you can't do your job!
Get out of the way.
Get out of my way, get! Move!
Bet's a bet.
No. Winning is no longer fun.
This is a
30-year-old case.
We were lucky to get
what we had before.
All we need is another
way to get his DNA.
Let's follow him.
That's illegal.
We have to forget
that we know him, remember?
That's crazy. I mean, we know
where the treasure is buried.
We can't dig!
The treasure confessed.
Let's go through his trash.
We can't.
Well, it wouldn't be the first
time we bend the rules
just a little bit.
We're not giving
his lawyer ammunition.
That guy does not go free again.
Amen.
Okay, so...
how do we do that?
Well, start with getting that
off the screen.
This is incredible.
How is it sensing my hands
without gloves?
Until you're an employee,
I can only show you the magic.
And these babies don't hit
the market until late 2020.
Gonna be hard to wait.
I've tasted the forbidden fruit.
Well, if you sign
start paperwork,
you'll be able to join a beta
testing group right away.
What do you say? Ready
to become a "Splendid"?
Oh.
Uh, just give me one sec.
I got to take this.
Bishop, hey. What's wrong?
How do you know
something's wrong?
Well, you never call me
on personal days.
I used to like that about you.
I know, I know, I'm sorry.
I just--
Things are bad here.
Is there any way you can come
into the office to help out?
Uh, no, not really.
Okay. Okay. Never mind.
Why? What happened?
No, I-I don't want to tell you.
I don't want you
to think about it
while you're with your family.
Well, I wouldn't
hold your breath.
How can I help you, Agent McGee?
McGee. Was that a Mary Beth?
Um, yes.
I thought you hated
those things.
Privacy issues and all.
And why is she calling you
"Agent McGee"?
Um, it's a power thing.
Attention, all you Splendids,
the Taco Tuesday truck
is now open on the south lawn.
Tacos? McGee, where are you?
I got to go, Bishop. Johnny just
threw up on the settee.
The "settee"?
Yeah, it's a thing.
Tacos.
Yo, this is evil.
Seriously, Ducky,
you can't expect us to
go through all of these.
Each one of those files
represents an NCIS investigation
where the accused went free
on a legal technicality
or mistake.
It's meant to be enlightening.
Okay, great, except
it's depressing.
Well, this is the job.
Time to get back
in the game, folks.
A lot of these cases
have been successfully retried.
Okay, so you think there's
something useful in here?
Something to help us
bring down Stuart Crum?
Yep.
No, I'm with Nick.
This is just depressing.
Man, what are we even doing?
Banging our heads
against the wall?
So, let's keep banging
until we break through.
Yeah. Otherwise...
Mr. Crum will remain a free man.
Stay on him.
My man, we got next!
Mmm.
Hey, you got to box out
on the rebound!
Hey, man.
Park police found
the body this morning.
Dead gets us DNA now.
Oh, yeah.
You know, if I was a songwriter,
I'd write a song about today.
It'd be something
really catchy.
Yeah, nothing like dancing
to the untimely death
of a child murderer.
Untimely? Come on.
The guy decided to
celebrate going free
and took too many happy pills.
Uh, we won't know the
official cause of death
until autopsy, Nick.
I'll give you
the cause of death.
That looks like oxycodone.
And there's a dead body
next to it.
Well... pinpoint
pupils, cotton mouth.
They are consistent
with an overdose.
Karma?
Karma, luck, whatever.
The universe just
balanced a scale.
Saved us time and
the taxpayers' money.
I'd say it's a pretty good day.
- - There's no vomit.
What?
It's the body's
natural defense system
when it ingests something bad.
Usually, when there's an
accidental overdose,
the body tries to
expel the drugs.
This man did not vomit.
So, what are you saying, Jimmy?
I am saying we should
wait until autopsy.
Well, our previous
investigation into Crum
showed no history
of drug use.
Oh, come on, we're not
calling this guy a victim.
Come on, nobody cares
about this guy.
Hey, it's not about him.
It's about justice, yeah,
but this feels like
natural justice.
It's our job to find out.
Well, an accidental OD so soon
after going free
does seem a wee bit convenient.
Yeah, it's convenient.
We get to tell Tommy's dad
that the killer's dead.
Isn't that what he wanted?
That's the problem.
If this wasn't an accident, the
dad becomes our lead suspect.
Right. Let's make sure.
Blood came back.
Crum had enough oxy
in his system to drop a rhino.
- Hardly a recreational dose.
- Hmm.
Hairline fracture?
On Crum's left clavicle,
to go along with the slight
bruising on his neck.
Someone choked this guy out,
then force-fed him?
Wish I could say otherwise.
Oh, murder is murder.
If somebody killed this guy,
it's wrong, Jimmy.
Yeah, but he was, like, an
exceptionally bad person.
Yeah, you're talking to the
woman who just confirmed
that he was
the Ice Cream Killer.
While our current justice system
is far, far from perfect,
it's better than
blind vengeance.
It has to be, right?
And we have dedicated
our lives to it.
So we treat this like
the crime it is,
and we call this man a victim.
So? What do you got, Doctor?
Right. Our victim was killed
between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m.
last night.
But there's nothing
on his body or in his car
to tell us who the killer was.
How about you?
Uh, other than
his own fingerprints,
the only thing at his home
was electronics.
Laptop, phone...
It's time for both of us
to dig a little deeper
into Mr. Stuart Crum.
Me figuratively
and you literally.
And justice for all.
Federal agents!
NCIS! Kyle Larson!
Mr. Larson?
Yeah? Down here.
I saw it on the news.
Crum was murdered.
News didn't say murder.
But I made very public threats,
and, uh, now you're here, right?
This is the same basement
your son died.
Ah, I got the house
in the divorce.
- You sleep down here?
-Sometimes.
When I see Tommy in my dreams,
it can take a while
to figure out it isn't real,
but if I wake up
down here,
like a bucket of cold water.
Does drinking help?
Rarely, but I've stopped now.
- Since when?
- Last night.
What changed last night?
These yours?
I had back surgery.
Pain just still comes and goes.
Agent Gibbs,
whatever I said to you
in that courthouse,
I promise I didn't kill
Stuart Crum.
Help us prove it.
Where were you last night?
Down here.
Right. Not drinking.
Anybody who can verify that?
I've wanted to kill the man who
killed my family for 30 years.
Now that he's dead, feels good,
but I didn't do it.
Even if I did,
could you blame me, really?
Alibi.
I have one,
I swear.
I just don't want you
to go and ruin things.
What things?
All right. Mary Beth,
please open the door
to section 117.
Agent McGee, you are
one hour and 22 minutes early
for this part of your tour.
- Yes, I know.
- Open the door.
- No problem.
Yes.
I will alert Clarissa
that you have arrived.
No, no.
Ooh, all right.
Thank you, Director.
Agent McGee, Clarissa
says she is on her way.
I really hate you, Mary Beth.
I'm sorry you feel
that way, Agent McGee.
Was it something I said?
- Oh, this isn't good.
- No, I'm good.
Agent McGee?
Are you in there?
Good morning. I didn't know
you were coming in early.
Well, I was so excited,
I couldn't get any sleep.
Said nobody ever about
Government Cloud Services.
Did you see everything
you wanted to see?
Totally, totally.
I love how Splendifida secures
critical information
assets at the source
and not just
the perimeter.
Do you have a bathroom
around here?
Oh, down the hall
to your right.
Great. Oh, uh, would you
mind holding this.
Don't want it to fall in.
Yes, I called my father
last night around 9:00 p.m.
He was hesitant to admit that,
Ms. Larson.
Call me Jen.
And it's probably because
it was the first time
the two of us had spoken
in ten years,
since Mom's funeral.
Wasn't an easy call to make.
He's been out of my life
for a long time.
We were all
devastated
by Tommy's death.
I mean,
I watched my older
brother die, but...
losing Tommy broke Dad.
He was all anger
all the time, so
Mom left and she
took me with her.
What changed last night?
Since the mistrial,
I've been angry.
I mean, so angry
that I didn't know
what to do.
Uh, which is when I
realized that that's what
Dad's been feeling
for the last 30 years.
That same anger.
And I-I'm not saying
that he's right
to carry it with him
all that time, just that...
I finally
understood it.
So...
I reached out to tell him that.
Need to get that?
It's work.
It can wait.
So, you're a lawyer.
A public defender.
Dedicated your life to justice.
Well... like I said,
Tommy's death affected us
all differently.
So, phone records show
your call lasted 27 minutes.
Well, that call
was just the start
of a very long road
to redemption.
What?
Is that bad?
Crum's murder was between
9:00 and 11:00.
It's a two-hour window.
No... uh, that call
helped Dad's anger.
He even said if
I keep calling,
he'd stop drinking;
it's not like he hung up
the phone and went
on a killing spree.
You can't let
this fall on him.
That man has been through hell.
Apologies for the interruption.
Gibbs, a word?
You keep calling your dad, Jen.
We'll handle the rest.
Agent McGee has news.
I called Officer
Clark to come in
but he refuses
to meet us here.
He's CIA,
his job to be cautious.
Yeah, unless it borders on paranoia.
Okay, well, let's go someplace
where he's comfortable.
All right.
It's open!
Director, Gibbs.
Sorry I'm late; I'm pretty sure
I was being followed.
By whom?
Well, could be
anyone at this point.
So this, this phone
call better be helpful.
Agent McGee.
Would you please tell Officer
Clark what you just told us?
I was tasked with accessing
government records.
Specifically SecDef's
offshore account.
And what did
our inside man find?
Well, after a $3 million
withdrawal last night,
the account was then closed.
Closed? By who?
I have no idea.
There's no transfer record.
And I don't know who
withdrew that money, either.
So where did the rest
of the $250 million go?
- We also don't know that.
- Damn it.
They know we're digging.
Yes and we're gonna keep digging
until we know more.
Get back into
the records, McGee.
You hear me, McGee?
Uh...
I hear you,
boss, but, um...
it may be kind of difficult.
Well, why?
I think I'm being arrested.
Did you know McGee
was in California?
No.
Did you know about SecDef's
secret offshore account?
You mean the one with
$250 million in it? No.
What I don't get
is what Vance wants us
to do about it now
that McGee's been caught.
That's what you don't get?
How could Gibbs keep
something this big from us?
Well, Gibbs
is gonna want answers,
not hard feelings.
- Answers on McGee
or answers on our
killer, Stuart Crum?
Both.
What do we know?
Well, nothing new
on either case.
Yeah, Kase. Yeah, we're
all on our way down.
Come on.
Go.
Please pull down
your lap bars for the
mother of all good news/
bad news roller coasters.
Good news:
I got into Crum's laptop.
Oh. And the bad news?
It was wiped clean sometime
before he was killed, no help.
Is there any more good news?
Well, there's
still a way to find
a threatening e-mail
or phone call that could
lead us to our killer,
because, like half of America,
Crum had an online
backup service.
So all we have to do
is ask Splendifida
for his cloud data.
Hmm. Splendifida.
Yeah, that's not gonna work.
Mm, that was the good news.
Tech companies work
with the police all the time.
Unless they catch
one of your agents
snooping in their servers.
Is that a euphemism?
Look, if we want Crum's data
without a fight,
we're gonna
have to get a warrant.
How is that gonna help McGee?
Well, it doesn't.
It'll probably piss the
company off even more.
I mean, this could cause
a legal nightmare, Gibbs.
That works.
Yeah. Hey.
Hmm.
Were you ever considering
our job offer, Agent McGee?
Or was it all a front
to steal information?
I didn't steal anything.
Look, you confiscated my
phone, you searched my person.
Thoroughly, thank you.
You have no right to hold me.
Clearly you didn't read
the terms and conditions
of your nondisclosure agreement.
Oh, come on,
no one reads those things.
You don't say a word.
This is Clarissa Bondurant
with Splendifida
Human Resources,
with whom am I speaking?
Oh, I see.
Hello, sir, I--
A warrant?
Is this related to--
Yes, it just came through
on my e-mail.
But as to the matter
of Agent McGee,
we caught him looking through
secure government servers.
Evidence? Well, no, but...
No, sir. However, I...
You, too.
Agent McGee, you are free to go.
I am?
With the understanding that you
no longer have a job offer
and will no longer be permitted
to purchase any Splendifida
products or services
directly from the company.
Wow.
Agent Gibbs said all that?
Who's Agent Gibbs?
NCIS thanks you for fast-tracking
our warrant, Judge Deakin.
I did tell Agent
Gibbs I'd help.
And as for getting
our agent off the hook...
I threw a little legal jargon
around, you're lucky it worked.
Not exactly by the book,
but not illegal, either.
Technicalities
work both ways, Judge.
I suppose you're right.
- We done here?
- Yes, go.
You'll have to excuse him,
Judge.
NCIS still has a killer to find.
I may have grossly
underestimated Agent Gibbs.
He doesn't quit.
This was your idea, Kasie Hines.
You made Leroy Jethro Gibbs
get a warrant for this data.
You will find something useful.
Question is,
Kasie Hines,
have you?
- No, there is nothing
in these e-mails
but more
bad news.
- Mm-hmm.
So why are
you smiling?
Because McGee
was right.
- About what?
- Mary Beth is always listening.
Well, yeah,
he's preached that gospel
to me more
than a few times.
But how does this
relate to Stuart Crum?
So, when we searched
Crum's house,
I noticed
Mary Beth devices all over.
And now that NCIS has all
that Splendifida data...
You were able to test
McGee's phobia.
Mm-hmm.
Not only did a few
audio devices
"accidentally" record...
Something the company
swears their devices never do.
...a video-enabled Mary Beth on
the kitchen counter triggered
and "accidentally"
caught this.
Ooh, somebody's creeping.
Oh, tell me it's not
that poor dad.
It's not Kyle Larson.
That's the bailiff from court.
What's he doing there?
I think we should ask.
You going somewhere, Colt?
- No.
Well, that's funny.
'Cause airport security stopped
you on your way to Germany.
You caught me.
I like schnitzel.
You were at Crum's house.
Cell phone towers
put you at the park
at his time of death.
We know you killed him.
Who were you calling?
I've spent years in courtrooms
watching people
abuse the system.
The system
was supposed
to protect the innocent,
not free the guilty.
To balance the scales,
sometimes you have
to apply pressure.
Did you?
It's time I avail myself
of that very same system.
Guess that's one
of the perks of the job.
I know good lawyers.
It's time I called one.
Now.
Yes, thank you.
So, as much
as I love schnitzel,
I don't think this guy
went to Germany for the food.
According to the FAA,
our bailiff
was about to board
a private charter.
- Expensive trip.
- Yeah, how'd he pay for it?
Oh, I know, I know. Pick me.
Apparently,
our bailiff
had $3 million
waiting for him in Berlin.
It was transferred
last night
at 11:05.
That's right after
Crum was killed.
It's almost like...
our bailiff was paid
for killing Crum.
If he was, that would...
That would make this a hit.
Who paid him?
Oh, you're gonna love this one.
Our hit man was paid with money
from SecDef's secret account?
That's the withdrawal
that McGee found.
How the hell is a hit
on a low-life murderer
connected to a quarter-billion
dollars of dark money?
- Got no idea.
- Yeah.
I'll call Clark.
Have him meet us.
Yeah, it's Vance.
- Federal agents!
- In here.
Mallory?
Leon.
I'm unarmed.
Hands.
It's not what you think.
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
@elder_man