Without a Trace (2002–2009): Season 2, Episode 24 - Bait - full transcript

Previously on Without a Trace.

You got time to grab a drink?

- Maybe some other time?
- Yeah, some other time.

My wife was...

offered a really good job in Chicago,
and she took it.

I've decided to go with her.

I recommended
that you take over the unit.

I'm sorry if I ever hurt you.

Me, too.

I guess old feelings die hard.

- Harley, did Matt pack his medicine?
- How would I know?



- I asked you to check.
- Well, then I checked.

Sweetie, I need to know if your brother
has his medicine or not.

I put it in his overnight bag,
like you asked.

I can't wait until you have a teenager.

You could've just said you checked
in the first place.

Well, when you ask a stupid question...

- Hey.
- Hey, Scott.

- We're almost ready to push off.
- Hey, Capt. Winters.

- Hey, sailor.
- Hey.

- And look who's bringing up the rear.
- Watch out. She's in a mood.

Shut up.

Everything checks out, Scott.
Checked the hydraulic servo.

- Shouldn't give you any more worries.
- Good.

- Now you guys have a good trip.
- Thank you.



And you watch out for your sister.

- She'll find trouble wherever we are.
- Take care.

- See you in a couple of months.
- Okay.

Dad, can I take my Game Boy
on the plane?

Yes, you can bring
the Game Boy on the plane.

By the way, it's my Game Boy.

Now, listen, you two guys sort it out,
or Super Mario goes in the box.

Are you helping Daddy pack?

Yeah, I couldn't do it without them.

That is... Good morning. Very sweet,
but you have to get dressed for school.

- And I mean quickly.
- Okay.

I cleared out the closet.
There's a pile of stuff for Goodwill.

You might want to go through it.

When did you do all of this?

Last night. I couldn't sleep.
I was just... You know.

Are you okay?

I'm fine. It's just...

Well, there's just a lot to do. Sorry.

- Malone.
- Hey, Jack.

We're down here
at the Manhattan Yacht Club.

What are you doing?
Taking sailing lessons?

Not today.

We've got a family that took off
on a cruise last night down to Florida.

The Coast Guard found their boat
drifting out in the shipping lanes.

There's one body on board.
Gunshot to the head.

Everyone else is missing.
They're bringing the boat in now.

Okay.

I'll meet you at the office.

It's fine. Just go, and I'll get the girls ready
for school, and...

I'll be back soon.

- So there was no distress signal recorded?
- No.

- What about the lifeboat?
- Still attached to the craft.

We've got patrols stopping vessels in the
area to see if anyone saw anything, but...

- What time were you notified?
- 3:00 a.m.

We dispatched a cutter
and attempted radio contact.

Z- X cruise craft 60,
this is Harbor Patrol, over.

Permission to board. Please respond. Over.

Z- X cruise craft 60, this is Harbor Patrol.
Over. Permission to board.

Please respond, over.

Boat's registered to Benjamin Palmer.

As far as we know, his wife and two
kids were on board with the Captain.

- So where is dad?
- At home.

Jack's on his way over there
to set up a trap and trace.

Palmer's the head of a
big LBO firm downtown.

- Wait a second. That Ben Palmer?
- Yes.

All $1.5 billion worth.

Seasick Coast Guard.
That's a first. You okay?

Sorry. It's the body.
Never seen one before.

Yeah. Doesn't get much easier.

Mr. Palmer. Special Agent Malone, FBI.

Is my family dead?

- We haven't found them yet.
- But they killed Capt. Winters.

- Why do you say "they?"
- Scotty Winters was ex-Special Forces.

Seems a little overqualified
for a family cruise, wouldn't you say?

He was the best. Are you the best?

Well, I'm not dead. I would say that would
put me one up on Capt. Winters.

Now, why don't you put that drink down
and answer some questions?

You haven't answered mine yet.
Do you think my family's dead?

Mr. Palmer, if they wanted to kill your
family, they would've done it on the boat.

My only question is,
why weren't you with them?

When your wife wants to get
1,000 miles away from you...

the general idea is you don't go along.

- So you guys were having problems?
- You could say that.

- Was there an affair?
- Please.

Mr. Palmer...

Agent Malone, Erica's problems
with me were far more mundane.

She wants me to spend more time
with her and the kids.

And you still haven't answered my
question. Why weren't you on the boat?

A month ago, she gave me an ultimatum.

Quit my job, or get a divorce. That's a
threat, not a negotiating position.

- Take it or leave it, Ben.
- Let me ask you...

was it ever unclear to you who I was,
what I wanted?

- Did I ever lie to you?
- No, you were very clear.

- So, when you married me...
- Yes, I knew who you were.

You wanted to make $100 million
by the time you were 35.

What I do is not about the money.

You keep saying that,
but what else is there?

It sure the hell isn't about your family.

Erica, what do you want me to do? Retire?
Play golf? I'm 42 years old.

And Harley is 17. She goes to college
next year, and she is gone.

You missed it all. Do you realize that?

You still have a chance with Matt.
I mean, if that means anything to you.

You can be so simple-minded
when you don't get what you want.

Wonder where I learned that.

Next thing I know, she and the kids
are off to Key West.

- And you're okay with that.
- No, I'm not okay with that.

But I'm not gonna give up
everything I built just to placate her.

You have a prenup?

I didn't kill my wife,
if that's where you're going.

So you're perfectly fine to give up all that
money you don't seem to care about.

Agent Malone, it's a clich?. Move on.

Mr. Palmer, you do not seem
particularly perturbed by any of this.

I'm sorry if I'm not breaking down
in tears for you, Jack...

but I have a problem here,
and I intend to fix it.

And you're gonna need us to help,
whether you like it or not.

So why don't you finish your drink,
and join us inside?

Hello.

- Mr. Palmer?
- Yes.

I wanna speak to the FBI agent
standing next to you.

There's no FBI here.
Tell me, what do you want?

Put him on in 10 seconds,
or I'll slit your daughter's throat.

Ten. Nine...

You're not going to kill her,
because you need her.

She's not my only hostage, Mr. Palmer.

I can easily kill one
and still have what I need.

Four. Three. Two.

I'm Jack Sloan. I'm head of
Mr. Palmer's security department.

We're not gonna bring in the FBI.
They just screw these things up.

Just tell me what you want.

Mr. Palmer has something
that belongs to me.

Tell him if he wants his family back alive,
he'd be wise to return it.

And how do we do that?

No FBI.

So?

Did you recognize the voice?

No. What did he tell you?

He says that you have something that
belongs to him. Any idea what that is?

Well, I would assume money.

I've taken a lot of it from people
in the last 20 years.

Have you considered the possibility
that it's not money? That it's personal?

Here's a list of everybody who wants
a piece of me. Going back to '86.

I made it to the
"Ben Palmer's Enemies" list. I'm honored.

Quite a few of his business associates
made the list, but you're the only one...

who said you had something for us.

I think it's best if I speak with Ben directly.

Look, Mr. Fuentes,
don't waste any more of my time.

If you have something,
you need to tell me.

I'm sorry. I can't do that.

Really?

Put me in a room with him,
and you get what you want.

Are you aware that you're impeding
a federal investigation...

and that I can arrest you right now?

But that would mean lawyers and judges.

And, as you say, time is of the essence.

Let's go.

Mr. Fuentes,
I believe you may have some information...

that could help Mr. Palmer find his family.

- I do.
- So let's have it.

I'm sorry. Maybe I was misunderstood.

I'm not prepared to turn over something
of value for nothing in return.

Have you ever heard of extortion,
Mr. Fuentes?

- I'm sure I know what he wants.
- I'm sure you do.

The land in Santa Mayaquez.

He only purchased it because he knew
I needed it for my pipeline.

You stole it from me. I want it back.
I'll offer you fair market value.

And then we'll be even.

- Look, Mr. Fuentes...
- No, he's right.

It's not extortion.
It's just a business transaction.

What if he's bluffing?

Ricardo's like me. He doesn't bluff.

Transfer of title.

I don't know these men. Who took these?

Suffice it to say that when you
wouldn't respond to my requests...

I was forced to consider
other means of persuasion.

You were watching my family?
You son of a bitch.

Do you have any idea who these men are,
Mr. Fuentes?

They don't work for me. They were
sniffing around your boat last week.

They were only there a couple of minutes
before some security guard ran them off.

Good luck, Ben.
I hope they find your family.

I didn't realize
that you were such a soft negotiator.

I want my family back, Agent Malone.

Jack Sloan.

6:00 p.m. Chelsea Pier. South building.
You hear me?

Put my stuff in a black bag
outside the men's room.

If I see anyone around, the family's dead.

We still don't know
what you're looking for.

See you soon.

We've got eight hours to figure out
exactly what it is they want.

No, I've never seen
any of these guys before.

But you know, I'm not around much.

I mostly just help the Palmers
get The Buyout ready for their trips.

And you haven't seen any strangers
hanging around? Nothing unusual.

I don't know if it's unusual,
but the other day...

I was working on the fuel lines
and I heard Mr. Palmer and Harley.

They were going at it.

- You're 17 years old, he's 23.
- So?

- So he's too old for you, and I don't like it.
- Who cares what you like?

Hey, who do you think you're talking to?

I don't know.
Who do you think you are, my father?

Don't give me that garbage your
mother's been pounding into your head.

Mom hasn't said anything, okay?
She doesn't have to.

And who told you about Memo anyways?

Capt. Winters. He says he's bad news.
Or is that the point?

I don't know, maybe.
I'm not sure why you care.

What are you looking at?

- So, who's this Memo?
- It's a Guillermo Ruiz.

He was Capt. Winters' deckhand until
a few days ago. Mr. Palmer fired him.

Hang on a second.

Any news?

The rescue chopper spotted a young boy
in a dinghy, three miles off the coast.

- Is he alive?
- We don't know yet.

Stick around, all right?

Matt. He's my son.

I'm sorry,
but you're just gonna have to wait.

- Mr. Palmer, I need to talk to you.
- This is not the time.

Look, your son
has gone into diabetic shock.

But he's in good hands.
He's gonna make it, okay?

Okay, talk to me.

Do you know
a man named Guillermo Ruiz?

Memo. Yes.
He worked for us on the boat. Why?

It's our understanding
that he was seeing your daughter.

You found out about it,
and you had Capt. Winters fire him.

If your only lead is some $12 an hour
deckhand, I think we're in trouble.

I think I'm qualified to determine what
is relevant and what is not, Mr. Palmer.

- Did you see Ruiz after you fired him?
- No.

- Do you consider him dangerous?
- No.

I'm telling you,
that's not what this is about.

What have you found out
about the photos?

- Nothing.
- Great.

Excuse me, I'm gonna check on my son.

You and Harley Palmer. Tell me about it.

- Seventeen is legal.
- I know that.

I'm not here to bust you for statutory rape.
I just wanna know what the deal is.

I liked her.
And she liked pissing off her father.

Yeah, that's what I heard.
You know what I also heard?

That you were pretty pissed
when Winters fired you.

- What, did Winters tell you that?
- No.

We didn't get a chance to interview him.
He's dead. He got shot in the head.

What?

You recognize anybody in those pictures?
Look.

Yeah. Him. I saw him talking to Winters
a couple of weeks ago.

- You're sure?
- Yeah.

They were talking
out back by the warehouse.

- Man, I thought he was a supplier.
- Okay.

You know, we've planned
a goodbye thing for you.

You're not gonna do the whole
cake thing, are you?

- Sorry.
- You know I hate that.

Why don't we just save it
for your promotion?

No. I hear they're giving it to someone
from Washington anyway.

That's just Bureau crap.

- I wouldn't listen to any of that.
- He's awake now. You can step in.

Hey.

- How's he doing?
- Better.

Doctor says he's responding to the meds.

Has he talked about what happened
on the boat last night yet?

Why do you wanna know that?

If he's talking about what
happened on that boat last night...

I need to be involved in that conversation.

- I don't think he's up to it.
- It's okay.

Matt, please. Let me handle this.

Agent Malone, I appreciate everything
you've done. But I'll take it from here.

Really? How are you gonna do that?

I think my security people can handle this.

Like who? Capt. Winters?

We have it on good authority...

that he's probably involved
with the people who took your family.

Who told you that?

He was seen talking to the people
who were surveilling your boat.

We figure that when they didn't
need him anymore, they got rid of him.

I don't buy that.

If you allow me to talk to your son, maybe
I can get something more substantial.

Let's start with what happened
on the boat last night.

Well...

We were making dinner.
Mom, me, and Harley.

- Are these okay?
- It's too chunky for risotto.

Get away.

Erica. Everyone, get downstairs.

- Get downstairs to the cabin.
- What's going on?

- Come on. Front cabin. Go.
- What?

Matty.

What's going on?

Don't say a word.

Mom, look. There's a Zodiac outside.

- Did you recognize any of the men?
- No.

- I couldn't really see their faces.
- What happened next?

They got to the boat.

Then right away, I heard a splash.

Then they started arguing like crazy.

- Arguing with each other?
- No.

Capt. Winters.

Was it like they knew Capt. Winters?

Yeah. I think so.

- What were they saying?
- Something like:

- "It's not there."
- What's not there?

I don't know. But right after that...

Capt. Winters came
and opened the door.

What's going on?

- I need you to come outside.
- What?

- Who are those men?
- They just wanna talk to us.

- Everything's gonna be okay.
- I'm not gonna go out there.

Look, either we're going out there,
or they're coming in here. Now come on.

- Let's go.
- It's okay.

Matty. I need you to go out that hatch.
Go off the bow quietly.

Swim to the dinghy,
and get help, okay? Go.

I forced open the hatch
and I got out to the deck.

It was so dark, but I could see the dinghy...

so I jumped.

It was freezing.

That's when I heard the gunshot.

What you did, Matt, took a lot of courage.

- Thank you.
- Are Mom and Harley okay?

They're gonna be fine. We're doing
everything we can to find them.

I'm sure they're gonna be fine.

Explains why the Captain
wanted the deckhand fired.

He wanted to have full control
of the situation last night.

You know, I'm starting to think
that this has more to do with the boat...

than it does with the family.

Any luck?

Boat's transducer is missing.

The diver says it was sawed off...

and there's no mention
of the missing part...

in the very recent
maintenance report, either.

Okay, that splashing Matt heard, what
if it was someone jumping into the water?

Divers, looking for something
stashed inside.

Right, and when they didn't find it,
they took the family...

because they think that Ben Palmer
has whatever they're looking for.

So, either Palmer does have it,
and he's holding out on us, or...

Or someone else found it. Maybe someone
doing repair work on the boat.

Palmer just had this navigation system
overhauled two weeks ago...

at a repair shop in Bay Point.

- Damn, you are good.
- You just noticed?

Mr. Paltz? Stan Paltz?

Why don't you cover the left?

Freeze. FBI.

Whatever you say. Just be cool. Be cool.

Just put the weapon down.

Nice and slow.

- Jack!
- Where are those bastards?

- They got away. Are you hurt?
- No, I'm fine.

I think this belongs to him.

The victim is Stan Paltz, the owner.

Neighbors say they didn't see anyone
come into the shop.

Those guys came here
for the same reason we did.

They think Paltz found whatever it is
on that boat.

I'll have Danny
dig into the background of the boat.

Maybe the previous owner
knows what they're looking for.

Maybe.

I would have hated to lose you,
especially on your last day.

You're not gonna get that lucky.

Well, they may have killed Paltz
for nothing.

According to this repair log, he didn't do
the overhaul of the sonar system.

One of his employees did. Alex Genya.

Hey. Going somewhere?

- What's going on?
- Let's go.

What are you guys doing?
I'm just trying to catch a train.

We know. Heard you bought a one-way
ticket to Poughkeepsie an hour ago.

- So?
- So, what's the hurry?

You're afraid you're gonna end up
like Stan Paltz?

I'm sorry. I don't know
what you're talking about.

Where'd you get the $100,000 you
deposited in your back account last week?

You know, my grandfather died,
and he left me some money, and...

Isn't that sweet of old gramps?
Where'd you really get the money, Alex?

- You sell out the Palmers?
- No.

Look, I already told you,
I don't know nothing about that.

Look. We know you did the repair work
on the Palmers' boat. What'd you find?

Money? Drugs?

Alex, you ever check out federal drug
sentences? Try mixing that with murder.

- We've got two bodies.
- Okay.

- It was diamonds.
- Diamonds.

The sonar was busted, I had to replace
the transducer, and I found them.

So I take them to this jeweler.
The guy, he tells me they're diamonds...

only they're not worth as much
because they're uncut.

He told you uncut diamonds
are worth less?

Well, yeah, because, you know, they
haven't been, like, shaped yet. Whatever.

Okay, so what did you do
with the diamonds?

I sold them to the guy.
He gave me the $100,000.

I'd like to say that you're smarter
than you look, but then I'd be lying.

How's your son?

Doctor says everything's checking out.
He's asleep now.

That's good.

I know what kind of person you think I am.

If I'd been with my family,
none of this would have happened.

My guess is that if you were
on that boat, you'd be dead right now.

We think that the kidnappers were
looking for diamonds on your boat.

Diamonds? Where?

They were hidden in the sonar system.

Well, if all they wanted were diamonds,
why didn't they hit the boat on the dock?

Why did they wait
till my family was out to sea?

There were security problems on the dock.

They had Winters in their back pocket.
It was all supposed to go smoothly...

until they couldn't find the diamonds.

I don't understand why someone would
stash diamonds on my boat.

Where'd you buy the boat?

From a broker.
He found it at auction five months ago.

I had nothing to do with this.

Yeah, I know.

He came in with a bag of raw diamonds.
You might remember him.

Sure. I purchased what he had.
I gave him a fair price.

A fair price?
$100,000 for raw, uncut diamonds?

What were they worth?
$5 million, $6 million?

Two people in a transaction, both leave
happy, his ignorance is not my problem.

Do you still have them?

I sent them to a cutter,
who sold them to a wholesaler.

They're probably all over
the country by now.

And no one's come in here
asking about them?

- Who would?
- Look, we don't care if they were stolen.

We just wanna know who would traffic in
these kind of diamonds.

No. They weren't stolen.
That many I would have heard about.

My opinion, they came from some place
diamonds aren't supposed to come from.

They were smuggled.

I believe so.
There aren't many people who would...

bring raw diamonds like this
into the country.

- Got any names for me?
- I may have a few.

Jack. Just got a call from Van Doran.
I got the promotion.

- Congratulations.
- Thank you.

And thank you for the good word.

You deserve it. Excuse me.

Malone. Yeah. Send it through.

It's the kidnappers. They're routing a call
from Palmer's phone.

- Yeah, this is Jack Sloan.
- You mean FBI Agent Sloan.

Excuse me?

You had your shot at me, and you didn't
take it. You wanna lie to me, fine.

But you better get me my diamonds,
or these women are dead.

- How do I know they're still alive?
- Here.

- Talk.
- Hello.

- Erica?
- Yes.

Stay calm, okay?
I need you to do something.

Give me your son's birthday.

April 7, 1992.

Hey, I'm not joking, Sloan.

You got that, Sloan?

You get me what I want...

or this is over.

He hung up. It's definitely Erica, though.

- What about Harley?
- I have no idea.

Guys. I got something. Come here.

I think this is the guy who stashed
the diamonds in the boat.

His name's Joseph Grant.

- He owned the boat before the Palmers.
- Where is he?

He's dead. He died in a car accident
in St. Pete, Florida, six months ago.

After he passed away,
the boat was auctioned off.

That's when the Palmers bought it.

I cross-checked Joseph Grant
with the names the jeweler gave us...

and one name popped up. Lance Carlson.
He lives in Houston.

This was one of the guys that was
shooting at me in the marina repair shop.

He and Joseph Grant were arrested
in Mexico three years ago.

They were trying to smuggle uncut gems.

It's possible that Grant was smuggling
diamonds to New York...

when he died,
and Carlson lost track of the boat.

The boat broker in Florida
told me that a man...

matching Carlson's description was
asking about the boat three weeks ago.

So he came here. There are thousands of
boats in New York, and he finds this one.

Yes, but each boat
has a manufacturer's ID.

It would have been in the paperwork
when they re-titled it.

That's not public information.
There's no way to access it.

Unless you have someone on the inside.

You accessed The Buyout's records two
weeks ago. Do you wanna tell us why?

I'm in the Coast Guard.
I access records for boats all the time.

- Why did you call up the Palmers' boat?
- Routine procedure.

They filed plans for their trip
so I made sure the vessel checked out...

before they departed.

Did you charge a plane ticket
to Houston four months ago?

And then again two months ago?
And then again last week?

And did you run into this guy
while you were there?

Lives in a suburb outside of Houston.
Loves boats.

Loves to steal people off of boats.

- I'm out of here.
- Sit down!

Let's assume
that you threw up this morning...

because your boyfriend's
get-rich scheme turned nasty.

You are only one step removed
from the Captain's death...

and if those two women die,
this is going to be on your head.

Do you understand that?

I want a deal.
Either that, or get me a lawyer.

If you tell us what we wanna know now,
and you agree to testify in court later...

you'll get immunity.

- I want something in writing.
- Stephanie...

you either take this, or you're going to jail.

He said he had it all worked out.
We would get the diamonds and be gone.

Why are they here?

The stuff wasn't there.
I took them for insurance.

Insurance?

We'll find the diamonds, let the ladies go,
and everything will be just fine.

When I saw the Captain dead...

I swear I didn't know that he was capable
of something like that.

Do you have a number
where we can reach him?

Why don't you write it down?

We ran a check on the cell phone.
Cloned. We got nothing.

Well, Sam just called from the apartment.
So far, it's clean.

What's your gut on her?
You think he's gonna call?

No, he's done with her. All this guy
really cares about are the diamonds.

Well, if he wants diamonds,
let's give him diamonds.

What do you want from me?

We want you to call Lance.
Tell him that you made a terrible mistake.

You tell him that it was the wrong boat.

- He'll never believe me.
- Yes, he will.

You tell him that you pulled
the paperwork for The Buyout again...

and it turns out that you
misread some of the numbers...

and that the boat with the diamonds
is still out there.

This is the address
and the registration number.

This is what you give him.

And, Stephanie?

You screw this up, they're dead.

Hey, baby. It's me.

I got a Jeep turning in.

All right, execute. Go.

FBI. Freeze!

FBI. Freeze!

Keep your hands where we can see them!

Car is empty. Secure the perimeter!
Let's go!

Everybody fan out.

Drop the gun!

I got him covered.

- Where are the hostages?
- Where are my diamonds?

I want you to run the addresses
of every number he called.

Come on, let's get this putz out of here.

Move forward.

I got them.

Dad.

You ever wanna consider private security,
you give me a call.

You don't happen to have an office
in Chicago, do you?

It's a long story.

Jack, if you ever need anything,
you call me.

I just might take you up on that.

- All right, that's it. I'm done.
- Already?

I'm out of here. Aren't you a mother or
something? Don't you have to be at home?

- Not tonight.
- You know what?

I'm gonna get going, too, you guys.

- Looks like it's just me and you, Viv.
- Again.

- Good work today.
- Yeah, you, too.

- Good night.
- Good night.

- Night.
- Good night.

To the new boss.

To the old boss. To Jack.

To Jack.

Taxi!

Come on. There should be one soon.

You know, I didn't...

say anything earlier, but thank you.

For saving my life.

You're welcome.

Taxi.

- Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow.
- Yeah.

- Good night.
- Good night.

- Hey, Martin!
- Yeah.

You wanna share a cab?

I live uptown.

Yeah, I know.

Hey.

You're still up.

What's the matter?

What?

Look, I know it's a big move, okay?

But I think it's great.
I think it's really gonna work out.

That's not it.

Well, what is it?

When I asked you to move to Chicago...

in the back of my mind I just...

I never thought that you would say yes.

Yeah, I know.

And now I wish you hadn't.

What are you talking about?

I'm so sorry.

I don't want you...

I don't want you to come with us.

Why?

I don't wanna be married to you anymore.