01x16 - The Job

[bunniefuu]

And... there we are. Back to seated.

It's one of the smoothest beds on the market.

Rumor has it that Stephen Hawking d*ed on one of these.

What are chances it malfunctions and crushes you?

Easy, Mother.

Now, now.

Is that any way to speak to a man who almost d*ed?

Your pathetic patient act has run its course.

We are here because...

You need to make a statement to the police.

You're going to tell them that Mom was forced to s*ab you by the real k*ller.

But in fact, we know that it was you.

My boy.

Or... I don't say anything, and Mommy Dearest becomes Bedford Correctional's newest inmate.

Free to live out all her sapphic dreams.

Do you still have that ice pick?

You want something.

-What? -Well, it's not like I'm being coy about it.

I want more quality time with you.

Regular visits.

Like in the good old days.

No. I am not letting him extort his way back into your life. Let's go.

Well, I'd think carefully about that, Jessie.

Even you'd have a hard time looking radiant in an orange jumpsuit.

Fine. I'll visit once a week.

And you'll make your statement.

Twice every ten days.

And yes, it... it's all coming back to me now.

Your mother was being controlled by a monster.

Not me, of course.

Give me another.

Oh, that man.

I can't stand that he is still manipulating us.

Mm, if it's any comfort, he's an expert manipulator.

So am I.

As soon as we get his statement, we can really start turning the screws on him.

But we can talk about all that later.

Let's toast to some good news for once.

Yes. Well, um...

Did you reach out to Eve?

I left her another message.

But I think she needs more time.

What are you doing?

Getting her opinion.

You're what? Mm-mm.

Jessica?

Eve, dear. Sorry to ambush you, but I am here with someone who would really like to talk to you.

Hi. Uh...

Hi. Uh, I'm so sorry.

She's persistent, isn't she?

That she is.

Look, i-if you want to hang up, that's fine.

I can keep talking, pretend like you're still on the phone.

No.

I've been meaning to call.

I just needed some space.

But if you want to talk, I'm ready to listen.

How-how about dinner?

Not romantic. More... apologetic.

I'm free tomorrow night around 7:00.

It's a date.

I-I mean, a get-together.

See you then. Okay. Bye.

Well done, darling.

I have notes, of course, but why ruin the moment?

It's Gil.

Moment ruined.

A high-end robbery in broad daylight.

With motorcycles.

Nuts, right? It was a smash-and-grab right before a private auction was set to begin.

$20 million in high-end watches were stolen:

Rolex, Patek Philippe, Hublot.

You know, the sort of thing you wear on your wrist every day.

Robbers rode in on motorcycles, fired at the ceiling, then grabbed the loot and sped away.

They wanted it loud to terrify the employees.

They wanted it fast so no one had time to react.

And they wanted it brutal so no one would try and stop them.

But none of that explains this.

Angela Santi, 28 years old.

She was the auction house's consignment manager.

Entry wound is from a nine-millimeter.

She was sh*t at close range.

How close are we talking?

Uh, ooh, about as close as I am to you right now.

Point-blank to the face.

Um, maybe even, like, this close?

If that's okay. That is definitely not okay.

There's no emergency alarm, so what's our victim

-doing in this alcove? -Uh, the k*ller may have forced her here.

Isolated her.

But why? I assure you, I'm allowed here. I'm a licensed insurance invest...

And please don't touch my suit. Cops, man.

I got to dry-clean this. Vijay?

Whitly?

Is that you?

It's, uh...

I go by Bright now.

Of course you do. How the hell are you, man?

It's been forever.

Is that Major Crimes?

Yeah. I'm with them.

Special consultant.

Nice.

I left Treasury a few years ago.

With Braun Underwriters now.

We insured this place, unfortunately.

Looks like we're on the same case.

Of course, m*rder really isn't my bag.

Ugh. I'm after the 20 mil in watches.

That's the job. Of course.

You get the watches back, the insurance company doesn't have to pay.

Precisely.

Ah, it's good to see you, man.

Hey, maybe we can help each other out on this.

Yeah, two old friends working together.

Could be fun.

Sure. Fun.

See you, Whitly.

That guy seems great.

He is. I think.

Vijay and I went to boarding school together.

His dad went to prison for smuggling cocaine, so...

Oh. You were "bad dad" kids.

Something like that.

Mm. In ninth grade, we used to own the corner table at lunch.

The one no one else sat at.

You were a weird loner in high school? Stop.

Yo, Bright? Help me with this.

Why is our victim still wearing a tennis bracelet that's worth at least $10,000?

Yeah, what kind of thief leaves that much money on the table?

One who isn't motivated by money.

See how her arm's trapped underneath her body?

She was rolled over.

The k*ller wanted to look her in the eyes while she d*ed.

To savor her expression of shock.

Dread.

This wasn't about the robbery.

This was about the thrill.

A thrill k*ller? That's a liability for a group that wants to get in and out as fast as possible.

That's why the k*ller pulled her in here.

He was hiding her from his fellow thieves.

Like an addict hides his dr*gs. He'll do this again?

He craves it.

The endorphin rush at the k*ll.

He's addicted.

He can't stop.

Unfortunately, that's the only video surveillance we've got.

They zapped the other cameras with infrared.

The k*ller could be any of them.

Riding bikes with that kind of precision indoors? Impressive as hell.

You're right. This feels rehearsed.

Start calling around.

We need...

Hi. Hello. Hola.

Vijay Chandasara with Braun Underwriters.

Here to help however I can.

I do know a thing or two about thieves.

Vijay, this is Dani Powell, Gil Arroyo and... James Thomas Tarmel?

Not even close.

This is great.

Another overdressed expert.

Thanks. Mr. Chandasara, I get that your company doesn't want to shell out

$20 million in pricey watches, but we're here to solve a m*rder.

That's the priority. Absolutely. To that end, the crew that did this had bravado.

The time of day, the motorcycles.

I mean, usually, we see this kind of pizzazz in Europe.

I had a friend at Interpol run down a few known gangs for me.

And? No hits.

Super helpful.

But... she confirmed a rumor that some young American thieves have been pulling jobs in Europe with the more established crews there.

Studying the masters, if you will.

We're after a young g*ng looking to make their mark.

How does this help us with our thrill k*ller, Bright?

It tracks with my profile.

They're talented but younger, quicker to v*olence.

An unintentional k*ll may have been a gateway drug to thrill k*lling.

Wham, bam, Flintstone.

Here are the top 50 American crews from our database.

And, uh, as for the watches...

We don't care about the watches.

Totes. I get it. But they do.

I've been monitoring fences, collectors.

Only so many people can buy stolen goods at this price point.

That's how we'll catch them. Exactly.

All right. We'll coordinate.

Dani, let's get the unis out there.

Monitor any potential targets.

JT, check the federal database for any other cases that might fit this crew.

Thanks.

Sure thing.

Hey, hey, look at that, huh?

Together again.

The corner table boys.

The rejects. The bad seeds.

Please stop.

This is gonna be great.

What kind of bagels y'all got?

You sure you don't want a bite?

You can use my spork.

I'm not hungry.

And I have to leave in 12 minutes.

Well, someone's in a mood.

I'm not in a mood. We should talk about it, whatever's bothering you.

That's what these visits are for.

No. These visits are blackmail.

Would you rather spend 12 minutes not talking about the thing that's on your mind?

Care to hear my thoughts about Medicare for All?

Do you remember Vijay Chandasara?

Vijay. Of course, your buddy.

God, it was such a relief when you started making friends after all those years of isolation, although... you boys had a falling-out, didn't you?

You remember that? Of course.

You were very hurt by the whole ordeal.

You both had fathers in prison.

You had a connection.

But once Vijay's father was released from jail...

He found new friends.

You might say he betrayed you.

I'm not sure.

Maybe the problem was me.

Oh, don't b*at yourself up.

Trust me, you weren't the problem.

You're right.

You were.

Walked into that one.

I didn't trust him, and that's because of you.

Come on. I mean, how many problems in your life can you blame on me?

No friends, night terrors.

Did I give you psoriasis to boot?

Okay, our time's up. L-Look, it was tough having me as a father. I get it.

I'll admit that.

But I'm sure that life wasn't easy for Vijay, either, which does make me wonder, if he was able to move on, then... why can't you?

Gil.

Hello? One of our prowlers saw a group of motorcyclists cruising the Diamond District.

I got a feeling that might be our guys.

We're on our way. I'll be right there.

Alarm in progress. Peterson Diamond Mart on 47th.

Call ESU from the road.

I said heads down.

I said heads down!

Echo Team, moving in. Don't be a hero.

Keep your heads down and stay on the ground.

I said heads down!

Keep your heads down! Stay on the ground!

I will blow your brains out. Don't be a hero.

Damn it.

Level one, clear.

Level two, clear.

We got another one.

Call a bus.

She looks similar to the last victim.

Same hair.

Oh, God.

I-I heard g*nshots.

Is everyone okay?

Is the victim still alive? Were you able to speak with her?

No. They rushed her into the O.R.

This woman is our only witness. What if she dies?

For a craniotomy, they'll have to keep her awake.

We could question her during the surgery.

Lieutenant Arroyo, please.

This may be our only chance to catch our k*ller.

And get your watches back?

Stand down, both of you.

Even I can't get you in there.

What are you thinking, Whitly?

Well, you do know who used to be head of surgery around here.

You have a call from Malcolm.

Y'ello?

This is not a social call.

My boy! Twice in one day.

What a treat.

I have a witness in a critical condition who survived a b*llet to her brain.

Well, isn't she lucky?

She's in the middle of a craniotomy.

They're estimating 15 more hours.

But you want to talk to her now. Where's she been admitted?

Brockton.

Your old stomping ground.

They're not letting me into the O.R.

Is Dr. Orenstein covering the procedure?

He is.

You knew him, right? Of course.

Oh, we were good friends. He's got great hands.

Uh, so said his patients, and half the nursing staff.

I covered with his wife, uh, more than once whilst he was, uh, otherwise occupied.

-That's just what I needed to hear. -Wait.

Are you gonna blackmail your way into his surgery?

Yeah.

That's my boy.

You have five minutes.

Thank you, Doctor. Hi, Patti.

I'm Malcolm Bright with the NYPD.

This is Vijay Chandasara.

He's an expert when it comes to thieves.

We're both very excited to talk with you.

Hi.

Uh, they told me not to move too much.

You're doing great.

Patti, I know this is, uh, unconventional, but can you tell me about the person that sh*t you?

Of course. It was, um...

Nurse, I need a three-by-three with saline.

Anything distinguishable?

Was it a male or a female attacker?

I-I'm sorry. I-I, um...

I-I-I remember that we were alone.

B-But when I try to picture a face, i-it's a blur. It-it's just blank space.

Patti, I need you to stay calm.

b*llet caused damage to the right fusiform gyrus.

She has prosopagnosia.

What? It's all right, Patti.

That's just a fancy word for facial blindness.

One in 50 people has it to some degree.

It's going to be okay.

Just try to concentrate on the visuals that aren't faces.

Uh...

I think I heard someone say, "Coop."

That's great. That's great.

A-Any other identifiable features?

Uh, scars, birth marks, piercings?

There was a tattoo on the forearm: a bird, I think.

It was like a peacock.

Fenghuang, the Chinese phoenix.

That's our k*ller's tattoo.

It's the emblem of the Ghost Phoenix, a Chinese street g*ng out of Seattle.

They branched out from dr*gs and protection to more sophisticated crimes, including high-end robberies.

The "Coop" Patti identified is Cooper Wu, mid-30s, prior for as*ault, presumably the leader of the g*ng, not necessarily our k*ller, though.

Patti couldn't I.D. her attacker, and... all of the members have phoenix tattoos.

I turned up a half dozen previous jobs that could be connected to them.

No casualties at first, until Chicago.

That's when our k*ller acquired a taste for blood.

After that, one more in St. Louis, both women in their 20s with curly hair. He's got a type.

Your profile was right.

I'll put a BOLO out on Cooper and all known associates.

Nice work, you two.

Vijay still wants the watches.

He might try to make a side deal with Cooper.

Can we trust him?

I don't know.

I'll put a tail on him, see where he goes.

Vijay. What up?

Nothing. Good job in there, baby boy.

Listen, um, I wanted to ask you about school.

Really? That's ancient history, man.

We were friends, and then, after your dad got out, we weren't.

Why did that happen?

Where is this coming from?

It's not a thing.

I mean, we're adults.

Just curious is all.

It's not like I've thought a lot about it.

Why did that happen?

I tried, man.

I invited you to parties, introduced you to people, but you were... intense, judging people without saying anything, like they weren't trustworthy.

Yeah, I have rather profound trust issues.

That's what my therapist would say.

I'm glad you're getting help.

I'm trying, but here's the problem.

Um, I'm having trouble trusting you right now.

Cooper Wu has to unload

$20 million in watches, and your job is to recover them by any means necessary.

You're making a deal to buy the watches from Cooper.

See, this is the old Whitly.

All suspicious, all the time.

You'd be aiding and abetting known criminals, not to mention putting yourself in the crosshairs of a k*ller.

I was texting a girl.

I'll see you around.

Bon appétit.

I hope you like scallops... that I ordered because I b*rned the ones I tried to cook.

Don't worry, I locked away all the steak knives.

Sorry. Bad joke. I-I think I'm nervous.

Is that why you asked me here, to tell me you're nervous?

No. Malcolm, I came here because I thought you were ready to talk about you, about that night.

Oh, my God, Bright, Bright, wake up!

I trusted you by coming here.

Now trust me.

Okay.

Um, that night, I was dreaming, having a nightmare about a girl.

A girl?

One of my father's victims.

The one my mother's been searching for.

The girl in the box.

Why do you call her that?

I found her in a trunk my father kept in the basement of our house.

She comes to me in visions.

I tried to save her.

I think.

But I still feel responsible.

And in my nightmares, she likes to remind me of that.

You were only ten.

It's not your fault.

Look, I hate that I messed things up between us.

I really wanted...

What?

What did you want?

Damn it.

Uh, would it ruin everything if I took that?

It's safe to say we've weathered worse.

Gil. Vijay slipped his tail.

He's in the wind.

He's meeting with the Ghost Phoenix.

Making a deal with Coop to buy the watches.

You have any idea where he'd set that meeting?

I might. Uh, I'll drop you a pin right now.

Meet me there.

How'd you find me?

Your dad used these docks to smuggle cocaine in the '80s.

You used to brag about how he ran down a Colombian hit man in his Bentley.

You were in the back.

Yeah.

That's great. You need to go.

You told me you weren't gonna do a side deal.

You lied to me. This is my job.

Making deals with bad people.

These aren't just bad people. There's a thrill k*ller.

This isn't just another deal.

Gil is on his way.

All we have to do is wait.

Gil's not gonna make it. They're here.

You got to leave. If they find out you're a cop...

Dead. Got it.

I'm not leaving.

Come on.

I'm meeting new people, being social.

It's good for us.

Coop! Fellas, how we doing?

Ready to make a deal?

Mr. Chandasara.

This isn't a plus-one situation.

Who's this?

I'm Malcolm Bright.

The appraiser.

The suits in London need him to check out the merchandise before they release funds. He's clean.

But I'm thinking y'all still want to make some money tonight.

Am I right?

Let's go.

Boom.

All right, Mr. Bright.

Here's what we're selling. Take a look.

Make sure it all meets your exacting standards.

We can move the watches ourselves.

We don't need to trade them to this guy for a finder's fee.

Yeah, a rush sale like this?

You'll be lucky to get 15%.

You've got 20 minutes.

All right, here's what's gonna happen.

I'm gonna make a deal with these guys, and everyone walks out of here happy.

Sound good? Great. Glad you agree.

I have a plan. I knew you were gonna say that.

Haggle with Cooper. Draw it out.

Give me time to figure out who the thrill k*ller is.

That could be any of these guys.

You handle the money, I'll handle the k*ller.

Coopy-Coop!

Let's make some magic happen.

This phone is reserved for telemarketers and politicians.

Identify yourself so I know how hard to slam the receiver.

Mrs. Whitly.

You kept the old number. How sentimental.

Martin?

It's good to hear your voice.

What do you want?

Uh, to make a complaint.

What did you say to our son?

Malcolm isn't answering my calls.

I haven't said a word to him.

You know, I'd hate to tell the police the wrong story, Jess.

But my feelings have been hurt.

Psychopaths don't have feelings.

Actually, we do.

Trick is, we can turn them off whenever we want.

Well, he isn't answering my calls, either.

I know as little as you.

Oh. Well, do you think he's all right?

I hadn't considered I should be worried.

Forgot to turn on those feelings?

So is this what it's like?

Worrying about your kids, thinking of all the terrible things that could be happening?

Parenting is tough stuff.

It's good to have someone to talk to, someone who cares as much as you do.

You're right.

I should call Gil.

And she turns the dagger.

Surprise, suckers.

Taking your money feels so good.

This wasn't about the robbery.

This was about the thrill.

Hey.

What are you looking at? Eyes on the prize, man.

Leave him be, Petey. Guy's got work to do.

Kid's kind of young for this work.

Hothead's got to learn his place.

So, you born in that suit, or does appraising just pay a whole lot better than I thought?

I was born in it.

Had a Brooks Brothers onesie.

How about you? Other side of the tracks.

But I'm working my way out of a bad situation.

I get cash, lolz, jewelry, and one-percenters like you bankroll it all of it whether you like it or not.

Power to the people.

You're cute.

I could steal you, too.

What did Sheila say to you?

Nothing special. Small talk.

You two together? Yeah. We are.

Kind of.

Keeping your options open. Got it.

Always heard this was the most stressful part of the job, waiting.

People get greedy.

Not sure who you can trust.

How did you get into this line of work?

expl*sive temper.

Good to know.

We got a deal, Coopy!

This guy did me dry.

What happened here?

He's a cop.

I've been watching him.

He's been sucking up information on our team for an hour.

I'm not a cop. Yeah, he's not a cop.

Grant.

He ain't gonna talk.

Uh, Coop, what are you doing?

You know I'm legit. I just transferred

30% to your account.

That's the thing. You'll talk.

The question is, how much pain gets me the truth?

Who is he?

Stop! Stop.

I'm not a cop, but...

I do work with the NYPD.

I'm a profiler.

Close enough.

You're dead.

We got to k*ll them and go.

You're not turning cop k*ller today.

Well, what are you gonna do about it, hmm?

Leave Vijay out of this.

If you ever want to see the rest of your money, don't hurt him.

Excellent point. Thanks, buddy.

Shut up. Let me handle this.

Alex, take Vijay back to the docks.

Help him with the merchandise.

I'll take care of this profiler.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Hold on. Hold on!

I can't leave without him.

You're in no position to negotiate.

He's my friend.

Friend?

Don't, Vijay. I know what happens next.

You're gonna leave! You have to. I get it.

I knew I shouldn't have come.

I knew it in school.

Really? You're gonna bring up school here?

What the hell does that even mean?

I never could trust you.

You're just like your dad.

Go.

Save your own ass.

Get in your Bentley and go.

I drive a vintage Porsche.

That'll work, too.

Just go!

Hey, hey...

Looks like Vijay got what he wanted.

Yeah, but where's Bright? He said he'd be here, too.

We'll follow the van.

Hopefully it leads to...

What the hell?

What is Vijay doing?

So, why does a profiler care about a bunch of thieves?

Boss, we don't have time for this.

Easy, Grant.

I want to know.

Ah. Got it.

Got what?

We're both trying to figure out the same thing.

Which one of them is the k*ller.

What the hell does that mean?

Two jobs in two days, both planned to the second.

Both end with a dead civilian, sh*t in the same way.

It's got you thinking.

Is he right? This profiler?

Yes, I'm right.

Almost always.

So, who is it, then? Obviously not you.