NCIS (2003–…): Season 8, Episode 18 - Out of the Frying Pan - full transcript

You can tell a lot about a person
by their car, Bixby.

So you've said. Many times.

But owners all got one thing
in common.

You've ruined their day?

They've all got an excuse.
Take this guy.

Yeah. He probably lives here.

Forgot to move his car.
Let's just knock on his door.

And here I thought
you had what it takes to do this job.

And here I thought you had a soul.

Lost it a long time ago.

Hazard of the job.

Otherwise,
you start taking the insults personally.

Meter maid. Rent-a-cop.
Scooter pig.

You can't sympathize
with these people.

They broke the law,
and for that they must pay.

Oh, my God. Call the police.

- I am the police.
- The real police.

Can't remember when
we all arrived at the same time.

It was spring, 2006.
The cherry blossoms were in bloom.

Of course. Now I remember it well.

- McGee wore gray. You wore blue.
- I wore green.

- I was kidding.
- I was not.

McFraud, did your landlord's kid
steal your credit card again?

These aren't mine.

Must have something to do
with Agent Barrett and her team.

Maybe someone else has arrived.

Has anyone else talked to her
lately?

I mean, you know,
heard any details?

- Tony.
- What?

Barrett? No. Why should I?

Uh, I was just, uh, wondering
if you had, you know, spoken to her.

I know she's spending the next few
days setting up temporary housing.

Her team's still abroad.
Won't be back for a couple weeks.

So I've heard.

These aren't NCIS boxes.
They're case files from Metro Police.

Well, help yourself, Snoopy.

It was on my desk.

This is a Metro investigation
from two weeks ago.

- Does anyone else find that odd?
- Yeah. Me.

- Gear up, boss?
- Nope.

"Let's go?" "Dead Marine?"
"Grab your gear?"

- Nope.
Grab your gear.

- What?
- Got a body.

- Where?
- The morgue.

Been there for two weeks.

Mysterious.

Stand down, Skippy.

Victim is retired Marine colonel,
Yale Peyton.

Twenty-five year vet.

Panama, Iraq, Afghanistan.

Distinguished Service Medal.
Silver Star.

He was struck seven times
with an ax.

Why are we talking
about a two-week-old Metro case?

Metro turned the case over
to the U.S. Attorney's office.

They kicked it back. They didn't think
they had enough for a conviction.

Yeah, and?

U.S. Attorney's an old friend.

We worked together
when he was a JAG officer.

He called in a favor.

A favor?

He knows NCIS has a couple of the
best interrogators in law enforcement.

You happen to be one of them.

Who's the other one?

Metro's convinced they got the killer.

The evidence
was mostly circumstantial.

They had to release him.

U.S. Attorney won't indict
without a confession.

Leon, the victim here
is a retired Marine.

And NCIS doesn't usually handle
retired personnel.

This wouldn't be the first time
that we made an exception.

Military has a vested interest
in who gets the survivor's benefits.

So, what makes this one a favor?

My friend's up for an appointment
as a federal judge.

So we're taking this case
so your friend gets a better tee time?

No. We're taking on this case
to put away a guy that killed a Marine.

We need to get a monster
to admit that he's a monster.

Do you think you can do it?

Metro was right.

According to their files,
it would appear their suspect did it.

Well, they built a strong case.

They have a witness who puts him
at the scene of the crime.

Items missing from
the crime scene were found in his car.

A history of violence, drug use.

Okay, so why did the U.S. Attorney
not prosecute?

No smoking gun.
If they try this case and lose...

It doesn't look good.
But if we get a confession...

- Do you have a plan, Tony?
- Yes.

We get into the killer's head.
Back him into a corner.

Catch him in a lie.
Press the right button and:

Metro questioned this guy
and never got a confession.

- DiNozzo.
Lover boy, Interrogation. Now.

Yeah, boss. On my way.

Now it's our turn.

Few folks find the fine flavor.

Jim, Jill, Jane, Johnny, jammed.
Jim, Jill, Jane, Johnny, jammed.

Oh, jeez, DiNozzo.

Sorry, boss. Just loosening up
the tongue. I'm good.

We'll see.

Hey, Nick. Thanks for coming in.

I'd like to ask you a few questions.

Sure.

Could I have a glass of water
uh, if it's okay to drink in here?

Are you okay, Nick?

Haven't slept much.

Been staying at a friend's house.

Hmm.

I'm Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

- This is Special Agent...
- You know why you're here, Nick?

Yes. You think I killed my father.

Yes.

We do.

You need anything? You hungry?
You want a snack or something?

You know why we think
you killed your father?

- Same reason the police did?
- That's right.

Because you had means, opportunity
and motive.

Those are good reasons, Nick.

I'm sure you'll get just as far
as the police did.

Which is not very.

So which of these reasons
do you think we're...

...thin on, Nick?

Are you a skater?

Uh. Yeah.

Means:

We know that, uh, you could just go
into the garage and grab the ax.

We know you got a key
to the house.

You're not supposed to use your hands
to break your fall.

Oh, accident.

Opportunity:

We've got a witness that puts you
at the scene at the time of the murder.

And you still haven't given anyone
an explanation.

- Or an alibi.
- So?

What, uh, happened right there?

Oh, I was skating downtown
in this parking lot

- and this car came out...
Motive:

You must think
we don't have a motive, Nick.

Is that why you shouldn't go
to prison?

No. I mean, yes. I shouldn't.

You're right.

A Marine pension,
it's not exactly worth killing for.

Metro never did prove motive, so...

I guess it's up to us now.

How long am I gonna be here?

A while.

Did you cry when your daddy died,
Nick?

Yes, I did.

So you were there when he died?

I don't follow.

Where were you
when your daddy died?

It's a simple question.

I think my watch stopped.

Know what time it is, Nick?

Um, I think around 2:00.

Yeah, it's pretty close, 2:10.

So did you kill your father, Nick?

Answer the question.

Why did you kill him?

That's why I said
I didn't need a lawyer.

Because I didn't do it.

- I loved him.
Oh.

- You hear that? He loved him.
Yeah, I heard.

Here's the deal, Nick.

First, we're gonna prove you're lying.
Then we're gonna prove you killed him.

And then you're gonna go to prison.

- Did I miss anything?
- No.

Here comes a candle
To light you to bed.

Here comes a chopper
To chop off your head.

Chop, chop, chop.

The last man's dead

Oh, Agent David.

I take it
that Jethro is otherwise occupied?

Will be for quite some time.

I've heard you talk to the dead,
Ducky,

but I did not know you read poetry
to them as well.

They are playground rhymes.

And they have something to do
with our victim?

Lizzie Borden took an ax
And gave her mother 40 whacks.

When she saw what she had done
She gave her father 41.

Well, I only count seven whacks.

Uh, yes,
and according to the coroner's report,

they were the cause of death.

- A crime of passion?
- Of rage.

The multiple blows,
especially to the face,

suggest that the killer
was not only familiar with his victim,

but also furious
on an almost primal level.

Like a son angry at his father?

Uh, possibly.

I had Agent McGee make me copies
of the transcripts

of Metro's interrogation
of Nick Peyton.

Perhaps they can give me
some insight into the young man.

He's barely a man.
He's 18 but he looks 12.

- Looks can be deceiving.
- Clearly.

You find anything, call me, Ducky.

Ring a ring of roses
A pocket full of posies.

Atishoo, atishoo
All fall down.

Hi, honey.

Welcome home
to our humble, bloody abode.

Cozy.

Yep,
since Metro removed all the evidence,

the actual crime scene
was released last week.

So this is the next best thing.

Everything is positioned exactly
as it was found by police.

Including our body double, Carl,

who is laying in
for our deceased colonel.

And there is this.

His tablet.

The only computer
the colonel owned.

Yep. It's been sitting in so much blood,
it kind of drowned the little guy.

Metro give it CPR?

They tried,
but I think it needs a Timmy touch.

Hmm. Do we have anything else?

Metro's finding says
all the blood is from the victim.

Nick's fingerprints and hair
are everywhere, but he lives here.

How could a kid
murder his own father?

Well, the tox panel that was taken
when Nick was arrested,

it shows he had a whole cocktail
of prescription meds in his system.

I mean, our nice Nick,
in interrogation,

he could be a totally different Nick
when he's blitzed out of his mind.

I don't remember anything
about prescriptions in his medical files.

Exactly.
So there's no telling what kind of rage

this combo may have sent him into.

There may be one person
who could help us.

Nick had a drug problem.

And some violent outbursts
while intoxicated,

but he's basically a good kid.

He was in your rehab facility
how many times, Dr. Gracey?

- Three.
So he relapsed twice?

Actually, Nick never completed
a full rehabilitation cycle.

He was a challenging case.

What were his primary addictions?
Heroin? Cocaine?

No. Pills.

What was Nick's relationship
with his father?

Nick and his dad had a conflicted
and complicated relationship.

Did they ever fight?

Like I told the police,
I can't discuss anything

that was told to me in confidence,
so...

Is there anything you can discuss?

For instance, do you think
Nick is capable of killing his father?

You'll find that he's strong-willed
and independent.

But I don't think
he's capable of murder.

All set, boss.

What's going on?

Movies.

Thought he threw these out.

Any emotion for Daddy dearest?

Not a single tear.

Kid can't even look
at an image of his dad.

Clearly Oedipus and Rex
didn't get along too well.

Sealed juvie records.

Not sealed anymore.

I feel bad for any guy
whoever dates your daughter.

Me too.

"Daddy and me
had three violent altercations

over the past two years.

"Cops had to break it up.
Yelling, screaming."

Sounds like
one of Ziva's family reunions.

Colonel tried to put him in military
school before his last deployment.

He couldn't find one
that would take him.

History of drug abuse,
fights at school.

Rehab roulette.

And not a shred of emotion.

We've been talking to him
for four hours.

For a kid who said
he, uh, loved his father,

he's never called him "Dad" once.

He hates him.

Which gives us something
Metro never had.

- Motive.
- A pressure point.

It's time to start pressing.

Hard.

Missed some good movies.

- I've seen them before.
- Your dad takes a good picture.

- Ooh-rah.
- Ha, ha.

I particularly like those three
right behind you.

Behind you.

Nick.

You hate him.

Why?

Military school?

Rehab?

Agent Gibbs.

This isn't gonna work.

What?

This.

Why?

Because I didn't kill him.

I said I didn't want a lawyer.

But I'd like a diet cream soda now.

If you have one.

What are you doing, McGee?
- Nothing.

You were snooping. I saw you.

Clearly, Tony has been
a very bad influence on you.

I was just curious.

- Do you lock your desk?
- No.

Exactly.

What is it about us
that Barrett doesn't trust?

Ah, stay out of her drawers, McGee.
What do we got?

We've been going over the last
of the Metro files.

- What did they miss?
- Uh, not a whole lot.

Mother in the home movies,
where is she?

Walked out two years ago.
Metro's not been able to track her.

- McGee.
- Already been digging.

Donna Peyton.

Formerly Donna Jenkins
of Butte, Montana.

She attended Monroe University.

PoliSci and Communications.
Graduated Cum Laude in '89.

She married Colonel Peyton, '91.

And she gave birth to Nick, '93.

What's the punchline?

She stopped using her cell phone
and credit cards two years ago.

- She's off the grid.
- Disappeared.

No missing-persons report.

No divorce papers.

Maybe the colonel is not
the first parent Nick has murdered.

Find her or her body.

Last known address
is the Peyton residence.

First thing in the morning,
talk to the neighbors.

Mr. Stafford, how long have you lived
next to the Peytons?

- Almost 15 years.
- Hmm.

Now, in your statement
to Metro Police,

you never mentioned Mrs. Peyton.

Is there anything you can tell us
about her?

Donna. No, seemed nice.

- So do you know where she is now?
- No, no. Not since she left years ago.

And by "left"?

Well, she and Yale
were private people.

But, uh, there were strains
in their marriage.

He was always deploying.

Their son, Nick, uh,

that kid's a little bit of a nightmare.

According to your statement, you
saw Nick here the night of the murder?

Yes, I came out
to go to the store at 8:30,

and, uh, Nick's car
had jumped the curb

right here in front of my house.

He was really buzzed.

Buzzed?

Drugs.

- Drugs?
- Yeah.

He's always high.
He stumbles out of his car

and he dumps a Beltway Burger bag
right on my lawn.

And you remember
the fast-food brand because?

Because I had to clean it up.

Every single fry. I left right after that.

Got back around 10.
And Nick's car was gone.

Did you see Nick go into the house?

Oh, yeah.
That's, uh, when the arguing started.

What were they arguing about?

Money. Drugs.

Rehab. Same as always.

Drugs do bad things
to decent people.

Seems like
you've had a personal experience.

I lost my teenage girl to drugs
last year.

An overdose.

You try to protect them, but it's hard.

Hey, Nick.

Are you hungry?

I don't eat meat. I'm vegan.

Ah.

- Milkshake?
- Vegan.

Really?

I've heard otherwise.

From who?

Some girl at the window.

She said that she remembers that you
like your burgers whammy style.

She says that she remembers you
that night.

Acting high.

Couple hours
before your meaty meal,

you, uh, used your credit card
to buy a movie ticket.

Sunday silver-screen classic
showing of Casablanca.

- Remember?
- Yeah.

That's an odd movie choice
for an 18-year-old kid.

Did you enjoy it? The movie?

- Yes.
Well, I'll tell you,

it has one of my favorite
all-time movie moments.

You know the scene I'm talking about?
Come on.

You know,
when Rick's jumping up and down

on that bed filled with all the money.

And he's singing
"God Bless America."

Yeah. That was pretty good.

And then the lamp tips over.
Ha-ha-ha.

Yeah, that's pretty funny.

Hey, Nick, I haven't seen a lot
of movies, but I've seen that one.

That scene you're talking about?

It's not in the movie.

- What?
I just made it up.

You're not the only liar in the room.

Sounds to me
like you lead a double life.

One sober.
The other in a drug-induced stupor.

Or is it a full-on blackout, Nick?

- What are you talking about?
What else don't you remember?

The ax? The blood?
Killing your father?

Remember anything you did
that night?

- No.
- Really?

I... I mean...

Nick,

can you honestly tell me

for certain

that you didn't kill your father?

No.

Kid's on the ropes.
Let's knock him out.

It's not a prizefight, Leon.

That's exactly what it is.

We keep pushing him now,
he'll shut down instead of opening up.

- He's B.S. ing us.
- Well, we need more to prove that.

Then find it. The kid did it.

You really want that buddy of yours
to be a judge, don't you?

Or is there something else
you wanna tell me, Leon?

You got three hours.

Then I'm going in there myself.

- Good read?
- Oh, Metro did a fine job

of interrogating our young Mr. Peyton.

Yeah?

But?

I re-examined the victim.

And while most of the D.C. coroner's
findings are accurate,

they did make one egregious,
if somewhat understandable, mistake.

The cause of death.

The guy was axed to death, Ducky.

Yeah, well,
I created a Beauchene skull

using the pieces
of the colonel's cranium.

While most of these fractures
are clean and linear,

clearly made by the ax,

this indentation was caused
by something blunt and circular.

Two different kinds of wounds.

The cause of death can still
be classified as blunt-force trauma,

but just not from an ax.

Trying to cover up the real cause
of death?

Well, that's hard to determine.

But, uh, if I could speculate.

Oh, speculate, Duck.

Nick could easily have hit his father
with this first object.

And then in his drug-addled fugue,

proceeded to butcher his father's body
with the ax.

Or it could also mean...

Somebody was trying
to make it look that way.

In an effort to frame the boy.

What do you got?

Other than my respect and adulation
for the human's ability

to engineer teeny-tiny parts
made of nothing but sand?

Is it dead or alive?
- It's neither.

It's like a zombie, Gibbs.

If you don't kill the brain,
it doesn't die.

So we were able
to transplant a flash memory chip.

Dr. McFrankenstein, if you please.

So the colonel had set up
an anonymous e-mail account

that only he and one other person
knew about.

Looks like Peyton had a friend.

Dr. Ellen Gracey, Gibbs.

A very passionate person that sent
a series of romantic messages.

That is Nick's psychologist
from rehab.

She had a relationship
with our victim.

Something she failed to mention
when we talked to her.

And that's not all she failed
to mention.

Timothy.

I pulled Dr. Gracey's phone records.

She received a call
from a gas-station phone

two blocks away
from the crime scene.

- When?
- Ten minutes after the murder.

But there's no cameras in the vicinity.
No way of knowing who called her.

Oh, yeah, there is. There's one way.

- Take Ziva with you.
- Hmm.

- I lied.
We know.

Question is why?

I started seeing Nick's father
about a year ago.

How come you didn't mention it
before?

Because it's unethical.
Unprofessional.

It compromises
doctor-patient efficacy.

Did Nick know you were having
a relationship with his father?

Who called you
the night of the murder?

We know that someone called you
from a public phone.

I was with a patient.
It went to my voicemail.

Who was it?

Nick.

We're gonna need
to hear that message.

Doctor, we can get a warrant.

No.

Dr. Gracey, it's Nick.

Where are you?

Where are you?

Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
He's dead.

Everything ready?

It's just like the one he used.
It's show time.

Bringing down a kid, Leon.
Not a tree.

Nick, I'm NCIS Director Leon Vance.

Did you kill your father
with this ax?

No, I didn't.

I want you to think
before you speak.

Because my patience
is starting to wear thin.

Have you ever seen this ax before?

Look at me.

Have you ever seen it?

I've never seen that ax.

I don't like being lied to.

I'll bet your father didn't either,
did he?

Did he?

He was a Marine.

He was a hero. He was a man.

But his son,

his only child was a failure.

How do you think
that made him feel, Nick?

- I don't know.
- Ashamed? Embarrassed? Angry?

- My father loved me.
- Really?

What about your mom, Nick?
Did she love you too?

- Yes.
- Then why did she leave you?

Come to think of it,
why did your father leave you?

Was it to serve his country?

Or was it just to get the hell away
from you because you were a burden.

He put you in rehab three times.

And you couldn't pull it off.

A dropout. Unemployed. An addict.

You were a failure in every way.

- Where's Gibbs?
- Know what I think?

I think he didn't love you
so much as he pitied you.

Reminded you
of what a failure you were every day.

So you took that ax,

and in one instant, you became
successful at something, Nick.

No!

I'm proud of you, Nick,

even if your father isn't.

It's a hard thing to do, to kill a man.

Do you remember?

You remember how it felt?

Think back.

Oh, my God. He's dead.

I just left the house.
Blood everywhere.

He's dead.

Oh, God, what have I done?

Do you remember now?

You went to the house.

You and your father fought.

He turned his back. You hit him.
He went down.

And then you got the ax.

Hell, you came this far.
You had to finish it.

Did you finish it, Nick?
Did you wanna finish it?

I'm not sure.

He blamed you
for your mother leaving.

He blamed you for ruining his life.

And then he did the worst thing
a father could do.

He gave up on you.

- How the hell do you know?
- Because he told me!

Your father was a friend of mine.

He was an instructor
at the Naval War College.

He was a man that I respected.

He was a man that I admired.
He was a man.

He told you to get out of his house.
He told you to get out of his life!

I was never in his life.
The corps was.

God bless the U.S. Marines.

Damn right!

Is that how it felt, Nick?

To know you'd never deal with him
again?

- Felt good, didn't it?
- Yes.

- Once you hit him, you kept swinging.
- Yes.

- Go ahead and say it. Say the words!
- I killed him!

And I'm glad he's dead!

That's all we needed to know, Nick.
Thank you.

I'll call the U.S. Attorney's office.

About that favor?

Tell them
we finally got our confession.

Yeah, well,
there's just one problem, Leon.

I don't believe him.

Is that what it felt like, Nick?

Knowing you'd never deal
with that man again?

- It felt good, didn't it?
- Yes.

- Once you hit him, you kept swinging.
- Yes!

- Say it. Say it! Say the words!
- I killed him!

And I'm glad he's dead!

Sure looked like a confession.

Sure sounded like a confession.

It was clearly a confession.

Except Gibbs doesn't buy it.

He must have a reason.

A very good reason.

So, what are we missing?

Yeah,
I'd like to know the same thing.

Gibbs.

Not here.

- When were you gonna tell me?
- I wasn't.

You don't think it was a conflict
of interest that you knew the victim?

- No. Kid confessed.
- He didn't do it.

How the hell do you know that?

Before you went all Paul Bunyan
on him in there,

he couldn't look
at an image of his father.

Because he hated him.
He resented him.

No, he didn't hate him.
He was afraid of him.

All the more reason to kill him.

The first time he ever faced his father
in his life was in that room.

- He did it because you did it for him.
- Gibbs, we have a taped confession!

You swung an ax at a scared kid,
Director Vance.

One person on a jury finds coercion
in that, he will walk.

His confession trumps your gut.

- I'm calling the U.S. Attorney.
- This wasn't the favor.

This was an execution.

And he didn't do it.

Where are you going?

- To have a talk.
- Talk with who?

I thought you were a vegan.

What?

Beltway Burger? Hot dog?

You're either a bad liar
or you're a bad vegan.

I don't know what I am anymore.

You're hungry, Nick.
Eat the hot dog.

Why did you confess?

I don't remember enough
to prove I didn't,

and you've shown me enough
to prove I did.

So I did it.

Right?

I don't think so.

I can't even look at a picture of him

because I remember seeing his body
on the ground.

Why do I remember seeing that?

Because you did.

You came home that night
and found his body.

You add the pills, the guilt,
years of fighting.

You were high.

You ran.

You're giving me a free pass.

How do you know
I'm not playing you?

Maybe I don't.

Let's just talk.

About what?

What about your mom?

She always looked out for me.

I loved her.

Why did she leave?

Me.

I'd steal all her meds
and keep getting in all kinds of trouble.

Dad was deployed
for months at a time.

She couldn't take it.

You went to rehab.

Dad made me.

And my girlfriend.

She was there trying to get clean.

I missed her.

So you weren't there
trying to help yourself?

She'd bring stuff in. Pills.

We'd sneak out at night. Get high.

So where's your girlfriend now?

Megan died six months ago.

Overdose.

One of those nights at the clinic.

God, she was my best friend.

I mean,
she grew up next door to me.

Your daughter, Megan.

Top of her class.
Looking forward to college.

Looking forward to life.

And then Nick happened.

Next thing you know, she's OD'd.

She's dead.

Yes, it's my backyard. So what?

It's a lot of wood. Where's your ax?

I don't know.

You're the only witness
that puts Nick at the scene.

- Are you accusing me?
- Nick showed up.

He was high.
And you confronted him.

I lost my temper.

I hate that punk. What he did...

And then his daddy has to come out
and rescue him.

He was protecting him.
He was defending him.

He was enabling him.

He should have had Nick's ass
thrown in jail years ago.

Yeah, that would have taught
the little bastard a lesson.

And kept him away
from my little girl. Yeah.

You don't blame Nick, do you?

You blame the colonel, right?

She's dead
because he was a lousy father.

He killed my girl.

Right. You made him pay for it.

I want a lawyer.

You're gonna need one.

I didn't do it. I don't care what that kid
or his mother said.

The mother's gone.

Well, I guess she's back.

I saw her next door last night
after your people left.

Let herself into the house.

McGee, pull the phone records
from the Peyton house.

Um, already did.
When we took over the case.

- Nothing unusual.
- Phone records for the past 24 hours.

- But Nick's been here.
- Do it again.

Well, there's six incoming calls
to the house since yesterday.

All from the same prepaid cell.

Peyton's been dead two weeks.

You'd think whoever is calling
would have heard about it by now.

Calls weren't for the father.

Hello, baby.

Oh, my God. Look how tall you got.

I missed you so much.

I've been here the whole time.

Why did you leave?

Well, um...

I just didn't think
I could be a good mom back then.

But I can now.

Are you back on your meds?

Um...

No. They, um, made me worse.

No, they didn't.

I just need you back in my life again.
Ha, ha.

You're my baby.

When did you get back?

About two weeks ago, I think.

I came to the house one night

and you'd just left,

and I wanted to talk to your father.

What happened, Mom?

I'm so sorry, baby.

I didn't mean for it to end this way.

Mom, no.

He said that I wasn't a part
of your life anymore.

And that's not true.

Not anymore.

So we fought and...

I picked something up.

I really didn't think
I hit him that hard.

Mom. Mom, you should stop talking.
Please.

And I panicked, and I just...

I went and got an ax
from next door and...

You know, I thought that they
were gonna think maybe you did it.

And I had to protect you, baby.

By making them think
that Mr. Stafford did it?

I had to protect you, Nick.

You sure told the truth.

What is that?

Nicky? Oh.

I love you, Mom. I'm sorry.

Wait. Nick, where are you going?

- That's it.
- Done.

- Me too.
- So who gets these now?

I don't care.
Just get them out of here.

On it.

Hey, boss,
think the kid's gonna be okay?

Don't know. It's up to him now.

- Vance.
Director Vance. It's EJ.

- Hello, Agent Barrett.
- I just got your message.

I'm glad you called.