10x22 - Protection

[bunniefuu]

[Siren]

[Breathing hard]

Woman: Is somebody there?

It's me.

[Distant siren]

Are you ok?

Is your mom here?

Mom?

Yeah, baby.

Oh, my God.

Danny, what happened?

[Panting]

JJ!

Hey, hold on for a second.

[Cell phone ringing]

Garcia's calling.

[Ring]

Hey, baby girl, what's good?

Hooray! Happy breathing?

I wasn't invited. What's the occasion?

I was just having a run with JJ.

Ohh, that's boring.

See, couldn't you just make something up, satiate my fabulous, filthy imagination?

Cut it out. What's going on? You got something for us?

Uh, yeah. Hate to ruin your Saturday afternoon, but pack your champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

You got a case out in Tinseltown.

Oh, come on, Garcia, we're at least 4 miles from the car right now.

Well, the flight is super long and Hotch wants everyone to meet on the plane, so get your hustle on.

All right. Give us the highlights.

Oh, yes, I can do that happily.

Although it's not a happy thing since there are 3 m*rder victims in the last 3 days.

Ok, so, Nate Cochran, 46, was found this morning.

He's an accountant, lives in Van Nuys, married, two children.

With him was Tasha Brooks,

22 years old, prost*tute, cr*ck addict.

No known address or family.

They were found in Nate's BMW.

They were sh*t multiple times about the chest, head, and neck, but mostly in the face.

What about the third victim?

Oh, he was actually the very first victim.

His name is Gary Fisher. He was sh*t in his Jaguar 13 times, also in the face.

He was 42. He was a banker.

Uh, he lived in Studio City. Divorced.

Ballistics are an exact match to the victims found this morning.

Beemer and a Jag. They left the car.

Hey, Garcia, did they take any money or valuables?

Negative. Nothing.

And this Fisher guy was found alone?

Yes, but he was found in an area known for blow pops and backdoor quickies.

All right, we're on our way.

Happy trails, my heroes.

Race you.

Ow.

Ow. Ow. Ow.

[Knock on door]

Danny? You in there?

I can hear you crying.

I can hear you all the way from my room.

You got another headache?

You, uh, want me to do the thing again?

How bad is it?

It's bad.

Worse than last time?

Thank you.

Patricia's mad at me.

We're not just your tenants, you know.

She's your friend and she doesn't want you to get hurt.

Neither do I.

I'm sorry.

I don't know why this is so hard.

The right thing to do is always the hardest thing to do, and you're doing the right thing.

I just miss my mom so much.

That's why you have to keep going and find that son of a bitch who took her away from you.

The whole world needs help, Danny.

Somebody has to be there, just like you're here for us.

Ow. Ow!

Shh... It's ok. It's ok. It's ok.

It hurts so bad.

Aah!

♪ Criminal Minds 10x22 ♪
Mr. Scratch
Original Air Date on April 29, 2015

♪ ♪

Rossi: “It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.”

Buddha.

So two Johns and a hooker and no apparent connection between any of them.

And he doesn't rob them or care if the bodies are discovered.

No forensic countermeasures either.

He probably wants them found.

It might be a message.

I wonder what he's trying to say.

Maybe that he's angry.

He's using a .45-caliber w*apon, and with each victim he fired 13 sh*ts.

It's most likely every round in the magazine and the one in the chamber. It's basically overkill with a handgun.

What's he angry about?

Tasha Brooks is African-American and the two Johns, Gary Fisher and Nate Cochran, they were both white.

Guys, what if she's the connection?

What if these victims were both her clients?

Given the close proximity of the m*rder sites, that is a distinct possibility.

So the first victim, Gary Fisher, was found alone because maybe Tasha was there and then got away?

Or it was some other girl and she got away.

Presuming it is a woman.

Either way, that means there's someone out there that may have seen the unsub.

Then our first priority should be finding that person.

I can't thank all of you enough for coming.

Well, I hope we can help.

We put all our street patrols on double shifts like you asked.

We rounded up every working girl, pimp, crackhead in the area.

Hopefully somebody knows something.

We better get to it. We're gonna need to talk to 'em all.

Well, ii won't be easy.

I saw this all the time when I worked sex crimes.

Most of these women have been victimized for years.

Why don't we start with him.

Eddie Parrish, Tasha Brooks' pimp.

Calls himself Sweetness.

Aw, come on, now. That was Walter Payton's nickname.

That's just wrong.

Like I told the cop that dragged me up here, I work in a car wash.

You've been picked up for pandering before, Eddie.

Two years probation and 100 hours of community service.

Car wash.

Those are bank statements from one Mabel Parrish.

That ring a bell?

Reno, Nevada.

Yo, what y'all doin' with my mama's banks statements, man?

Looks like a few months ago, right after you got off probation, she starting making some cash deposits.

And the weird thing is, it's way more than she makes at that hair salon.

Now, I assume the I.R.S. is aware of it, but you never know what they're gonna find if they dig a little deeper.

Y'all better leave my mama alone, all right?

Come on, now, Sweetness, you know the deal.

Gotta play ball.

'Aight.

What y'all want to know about Tasha?

I ain't seen here since Tuesday.

And she hasn't been returning your texts or your voicemails, has she?

Damn, is there anything y'all don't know?

What y'all need me for?

We need you to tell us who k*lled her.

Who k*lled her? [Laughing]

She dead?

Ah, nah, nah, nah, nah.

You--you don't think it was me, do you?

Should we?

I didn't k*ll nobody, man.

No, no, no, no, no, no, I swear to God. I got alibis.

Come on, man, what you show me this for?

We found her with him.

I know that dude.

He's a regular.

What about that guy?

Nah. I ain't never seen him.

You sure about that?

Yeah, I'm sure about that. I ain't never seen him.

I don't forget no faces.

Whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait.

This is over there by the river.

Tasha never got down there.

Too far. Bad cell signal.

Y'all need to talk to the girls that work east of Alameda.

Now, can you get these pictures out of my face, man.

JJ: You usually work east of Alameda, over by the river?

You ever seen this man?

Mm-mmm.

Reid: Are you sure? Do you want to maybe take another look?

I'm sure, baby. I remember all the cute ones.

Like you.

I won't forget you or your friend either.

Lizette Castro? I'm Agent Jareau, this is Agent Callahan.

Am I under arrest?

Did you do something wrong?

No.

We just want to ask you a few questions.

That your first one?

Oh, um, technically, yes.

I have a 13-year-old at home.

It's a long story.

Then you should try those seasickness bracelets.

They got magnets in 'em.

Worked for me.

Thanks.

So, Lizette, um, do you ever work east of Alameda, over by the river?

It's ok.

Uh, yeah, sometimes.

Have you ever seen this man before?

No.

No.

Never.

You sure?

I'm positive.

Were you working last Saturday?

No, I was home.

Is that it?

Are we done?

You in a hurry?

Yeah, I gotta go pick up my son from my sister's house.

If you don't mind taking one more look at the picture.

I already told you, I've never seen him before.

Can I go now?

I'm not under arrest, right?

No.

Ok.

You should eat something.

I'm not hungry.

And maybe drink less.

It helps his headaches.

Is that true?

Yeah, sometimes.

Mom, you shouldn't make him feel so bad.

Look at him. He's drunk. He can't go out there.

He's fine.

I can hear you guys.

We're just worried about you.

I'm ok.

I'm not. You really scared me last night.

All that blood.

I just don't want you to get hurt.

I'm sorry, but you know I have to find that son of a bitch, especially before he finds you.

And when I saw those disgusting whores, I couldn't just...

I had to do something.

This is our neighborhood.

We live here.

Just be careful, ok?

Promise me?

[Softly] I promise.

Hey. Do you want a ride?

No. Thank you.

I can get you there a lot faster than the bus.

Come on, it's late, all right? I just want to help you.

[Test message tone]

Thanks.

Not a problem.

Where to?

Oh, you can just take a left up here.

So, um, how old's your little boy?

6.

Oh, mine, too.

[Chuckles] What's his name?

Santiago.

We call him Santi.

Until I had a kid, I didn't know I could miss someone so bad.

It's hard when you gotta work all the time.

You know, what, Lizette?

Doing this job, sometimes you get feelings about people, and the one thing I've learned is that when you get that feeling, you better listen.

You know what I'm feeling about you?

You're stressed out.

You were caught in a bad situation and you are scared.

Mostly for Santi.

So when I showed you that picture, you lied, because you thought that was the best way to protect him, but it's not.

Telling the truth is the only way to keep him safe.

I can help you, ok? I can.

But you have to trust me.

Ok, I lied.

I didn't do it, ok?

You have to believe me. He was being crazy.

I thought he was gonna k*ll me.

Ok. Ok. Calm down. Calm down.

Just tell me what happened.

Ok, uh, the man that you showed me picked me up last Saturday.

Uh, we went over by the river and we got in the backseat.

Suddenly the window was smashed.

He started pulling him from the car and he was kicking his ass and yelling at him.

What was he saying?

You stay out of my city!

I don't know, he kept telling him to stay out of his city.

Did you get a good look at him?

He was wearing a hoodie, but I'm pretty sure he was white.

Stay down!

He just started sh**ting, and I ran.

[g*nshots]

Please, I did not have anything to do with it.

You have to believe me.

Please don't take my son away from me. Please--

No, no. No one is gonna take your son.

Ok?

[Patricia's voice] Just be careful, ok?

Promise me?

[Woman screams]

Help!

[Woman crying]

[Man grunts]

Help! Help!

Hey!

Hey! Stop!

[Woman screaming]

Aah! [Gasping] Ohh!

Are--are you-- are you ok?

Are you sh*t? Did I sh**t you?

[Gasping]

No, no, no. No, no, no, no, no.

Please don't die. Pl-please don't die.

This is all your fault.

You're just like him.

[Sirens]

Kid's name is Lamar Taylor. Weed dealer, car thief.

We've picked him up a bunch of times.

Morgan: .45-caliber shells. Gotta be our guy, right?

Rossi: Yeah, but this crime scene's total chaos.

Look at this guy. More than just sh*t, he's been beaten to a pulp. The others weren't this bad.

Well, he's escalating.

He's either getting more angry or losing control.

Or both. He might also be on dr*gs.

This has gotta be her purse.

I wonder if he was trying to snatch it.

This neighborhood? That's a good bet.

Well, her name is Clara Miller, 68-year-old retired schoolteacher.

Guys, I don't think she's sh*t anywhere.

I don't see blood, nothing.

Maybe he hit her in the head.

I don't see anything like that right here.

Heart disease.

Spreewell: I don't get it.

First hookers and Johns and now these two.

Kid tries to steal an old lady's purse, unsub runs up on her, kills the kid.

Old lady has a heart att*ck. I think I know what this is.

I'm right with you.

We should deliver the profile.

We're looking for who we believe is a white male in his 20s.

He's what we call a moral enforcer, which is a vigilante of sorts.

Reid: An autopsy on one of the victims showed evidence of postmortem v*olence.

This speaks to the unsub's level of anger.

He began by victimizing prostitutes and their clients, and he's moved on to what we believe is a mugging situation.

He's mission oriented. In his mind, he may believe it's his duty to clean up the streets.

He probably does nightly patrols and st*lks anyone that he thinks is suspicious.

Not only is it possible he may suffer from some kind of drug-related psychosis, but we think he also may have been a victim of violent crime himself.

And this appears to be personal, which makes him more dangerous.

He's gaining confidence with every k*ll.

And as his confidence grows, so will his belief in his cause.

He lives in the area and he probably grew up here, but we think he's severely antisocial.

He probably couldn't hold down more than a part-time job.

Unfortunately, the statistics do not support this ending well.

In the vast majority of these type of serial crimes, the m*rder*r usually doesn't go down easily and isn't apprehended alive.

But so far he's been smart enough to run away before the cops show up.

Even though he's a vigilante, he may not think we're all on the same team catching the bad guy together.

In fact, his zeal may be connected to a deep mistrust of law enforcement.

So we need you to tell the working girls, your informants, anyone else out on the street, to keep a lookout.

And, please, proceed with extreme caution.

This guys is strapped with a .45-caliber and he's not afraid to use it.

So if you think you have a line on him, do not try to be a hero.

Call for backup.

All right, guys, let's get to it.

You were so cute.

She was a great lady, your mom.

I remember when we first moved in.

I never knew a landlord could be so nice.

It's not fair.

She should still be here.

She didn't deserve that.

Life's not fair, Danny.

I know that!

I know.

I get that you're hurting, but you don't need to take it out on us.

We miss her, too, you know.

Well, it's your fault he was even around.

Don't you dare blame me for this.

He was your ex. He was here looking for you.

You should be the one that's dead.

That went well.

You know what might make you feel better?

Cleaning this place up.

It stinks.

I'm actually wrong, you know?

It should have been me.

Don't say that.

Everything happens for a reason.

If it was you that got sh*t that night, who would protect us, huh?

That animal is still out there and the cops don't even care.

You're the only one that's gonna find him, Danny.

You're doing the right thing.

Your mom would be proud of you.

Hotch: Go ahead, Garcia.

Sir, per your request, I did some delving into the latest victims, and, uh, get ready for a big paradigm shift regarding the personality of Lamar Taylor.

He was a bad kid, operative word, was.

Present tense now, he was in his first semester at a local community college, and Clara Miller, the woman, she was his high school teacher.

He was a super at-risk kid, he had trouble at home, and Clara helped him. She helped him through school.

She helped him graduate.

So there's no way that was a mugging.

No. No. Unless it's some sort of, you know, bizarro universe, with a square planet, where things are like exactly the opposite, totally the same.

Black kid, white lady. He probably racially profiled the situation and just jumped to conclusions.

We need to alert the press and warn the public.

Thanks, Garcia.

Thanks for coming.

Ta-daa.

What do you think? I cleaned it up.

We.

We. Right. We. We cleaned it up.

It looks great.

These are for you.

I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it.

The roses make your eyes look beautiful.

I mean, they're already beautiful eyes.

I just mean, with the flowers, they're... more beautiful.

Thank you.

You're forgiven.

I know it's been tough.

I'm gonna go put these in water before I go to work.

Patricia, please don't go to work.

It's too dangerous. He's still out there.

I can't keep calling in sick. They're gonna fire me.

So what? It's better than ending up like my mom.

But, Danny, I have to work.

What if you didn't have to pay rent?

What are you talking about?

The house is paid for, right? And I don't want your money.

And with what I make at the restaurant, I could feed us all.

You would do that for us?

I would do anything for you.

Ok.

But only until you find him.

We're not freeloaders.

I know.

Thank you.

Nice job.

Thanks for the advice.

Just stick with me, kid.

TV: Good afternoon. I'm SSA Jennifer Jareau. Due to a recent string of sh**ting deaths, we now have reason to believe a vigilante is on the loose. We are warning everyone to be on the lookout and to report any suspicious behavior. We believe this man is a Caucasian in his 20s. He is armed and very dangerous.

[Turns off TV]

Wow. Are they, uh, talking about you?

That had to be about you, right?

They don't understand. I'm trying to help.

If they would just do their jobs, I wouldn't need to do it for them.

Be extra careful tonight.

And do not tell my mom about this.

[Loud music, indistinct chatter]

You got a problem, bro?

What are you lookin' at?

[Milena's voice] Be extra careful.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Walk away, bitch.

Woman: Stop! Ohh!

No! don't!

No! Stop! Stop!

Stop! Stop! Stop!

You want to r*pe girls, you son of a bitch?

Get him! Get him! Make it fast!

Yeah. k*ll him. k*ll him!

Right now!

Her name's Lindsey Cooper.

Some bouncer called 911 after she ran into a night club screaming for help.

What about the victim?

His name was Christopher Deluca.

sh*t multiple times, beaten pretty badly, too.

Apparently he was her boyfriend.

They found shell casings from a .45 on the scene.

She told cops that the sh**t was a white guy wearing a hoodie.

Morgan: Spreewell and his guys are canvassing the area.

Kate: He left a witness this time. He's getting sloppy.

Is she in any condition to talk? She looks pretty freaked out.

She keeps clenching her jaw, drinking water, and can't seem to sit still. I think she's on something, and I'm assuming it's MDMA.

All right, Kate, you and JJ see what you can find out from her.

And, Reid, you and Morgan go to the crime scene.

Thanks.

Lindsey, I'm Jennifer. I'm with the FBI.

Hi, I'm Kate.

Can I get you anything?

More water, please.

You all right?

Look, we know that this all has you pretty freaked out.

And I'm sure it probably doesn't help that your heart is still racing from the Molly you popped earlier.

But we need your help.

What happened tonight?

Chris and I went out.

You're right, he had some Molly.

I don't know what...

I started rolling really hard, and we went outside and we smoked a cigarette, and we were kissing.

This guy came out of nowhere and he started b*ating on Chris.

He was screaming. He thought I was being r*ped.

You want to r*pe girls, you son of a bitch?!

Stop! He's not raping me!

I told him he wasn't.

Stop, please.

Please don't. Please, that's my boyfriend.

I told him to stop and he wouldn't.

Please!

He took out a g*n and he started sh**ting him.

No!

Aah!

I didn't know what else to do. I just...

I left my boyfriend there and I just ran.

Lindsey, did you get a good look at him?

Yeah.

Good enough to describe to a sketch artist?

Yeah.

Composite sketch of the unsub.

I already went wide to the press.

Best lead we've had so far.

Crime scene was total chaos.

Ballistics confirmed another exact match.

Guys, something doesn't add up.

We profiled this unsub would have an intimate knowledge of his k*ll zone.

Right? But so far he's chosen impoverished neighborhoods with high crime rates.

Last night, he chose a neighborhood that's been recently gentrified and has a relatively low crime rate.

Why the shift?

He's getting more and more bold.

Or he's losing his grip on reality.

Maybe this isn't drug related.

What if this guy's actually delusional, as in the paranoid schizophrenic variety?

So this could be a psychotic break.

That's possible.

His vigilante mission could have become his sole focus and now he's seeing trouble wherever he looks for it.

Then his delusions are driving him.

Explains the shift in victimology.

Now anyone could be a target to him.

Excuse me.

No, no, no, no. You stay away from me.

You ok?

What happened?

I told you to stay away from me! You didn't listen!

Oh, my God, what did you do?!

He was gonna arrest me.

Arrest you? What are you talking about?

The mailman?

Are you seeing things again, Danny?

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Are you taking your meds?

No, I hate them.

Ohh, Danny. We have to go to the police.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

No, no, no, no. They can help.

No, no, I said no!

They'll understand.

We can't trust them. They're useless. You know that.

Danny, if you don't call them, I will.

What?

You need help.

You're not calling anybody.

Danny.

Okey-dokey, artichokey in the pokey, victims of violent crime in Los Angeles over the last 5 years.

That is one honkin' list.

We are talking tens of thousands of names.

All right, Garcia, cross-check that list against medical records.

Anyone with mental health issues that maybe have been prescribed antipsychotics.

Specifically resperidone, olanzapine, haloperidol, clozapine--

Ok, ok, I got it. Brain dr*gs, right.

Ok, ok, that's a still unmanageable 2,948 names.

All right, now check within a 5-mile radius of the k*ll zone.

Hey! That's more like it. 6 names.

Scratch that. Two names because two d*ed and two moved out of state.

What's that leave us with?

Herman Koldyke, 68-year-old Vietnam vet with severe PTSD. He was stabbed during a robbery.

And Sandra Cunningham, 40-year-old cashier, was bipolar, who was the victim of a r*pe.

Those two don't exactly fit our profile.

Do any of the 6 people on your list have relatives that still live in the area?

Yes. One of the aforementioned deceased, Miriam Stokes, 50-year-old landlord, with schizophrenia.

A year ago she was sh*t and k*lled in a burglary.

Her son, Daniel Lee Stokes, still lives in the building that she owned.

What else you got on this guy?

Uh, he's 24, he works as a part-time bus boy at a Mexican restaurant-- with really good Yelp reviews-- and he was diagnosed with severe paranoid schizophrenia 3 years ago.

Just like his mother.

Oh, snap.

Last week, Daniel was questioned regarding the disappearance of Patricia Valdez and Milena Valdez, her 16-year-old daughter.

They lived in his building.

They disappeared two weeks ago. Stokes was cleared.

Garcia, did they ever catch the guy that sh*t his mom?

No. No, never.

But, hello, thickening plot.

The prime suspect of said sh**ting was Patricia Valdez' ex, David Ruiz.

He's currently in custody of the San Diego sheriff's department awaiting trial for armed robbery.

You got a picture of Stokes?

Yeah. He's two years behind on his license renewal, but there you go.

Hotch: Garcia, we need an address.

You really think that guy had something to do with that missing mother and daughter? Let's hope not.

You got other units en route?

Yeah, two minutes out.

You and your boys take the back.

We're going in the front.

Why are you doing this to us?

That won't help. It'll only make it worse.

Shut up! I didn't ask you what you thought!

Did I, Patricia?

Patricia. He has them in there.

No, that's right, I did not.

It helps me with my headaches.

Aah!

Unlike you right now.

You leave mom out of this!

When?! Huh?!

Tell me! Tell me when!

Tell me! Tell me!

When your mom d*ed, you promised you would take your meds.

You promised!

You're really scaring me, Danny.

[Pounding on door]

Daniel Lee Stokes, this is the FBI.

We just want to ask you a few questions, Daniel. Is that ok?

Daniel, we know you're in there--

Get back! I've got hostages!

Patricia: Don't do this. They'll k*ll you.

Milena: Please stop. Just let us go.

Let you go?

To them?

They can't keep you safe. That's my job.

Who's he yelling at? I don't hear anyone else talking.

Danny: I love you! Can't you see that?

I love you.

Why can't you see that?

All I ever tried to do was protect you.

All I ever tried to do was protect you!

Daniel?

Is that Patricia in there with you?

You want to protect her?

We can help you with that.

Who's there?

She's with me. We're still out here, Daniel.

Can you hear that? There's more of us coming, man.

Stay back!

Ok, Daniel, if you have Patricia in there, you want to protect her, this is not the best way to do that.

Morgan: How about Milena, Daniel, is she in there, too?

Yes, yes! Shh, shh! Quiet. Shh!

Don't speak.

Daniel, we know about your mom.

Shut up!

You don't know anything about her.

We know that she was sh*t in cold blood, and you're angry about it.

She--she didn't deserve that.

That animal is still out there!

No, Daniel, we found him.

David Ruiz, right?

You're lying.

No, Daniel, we found him in San Diego.

I can take you right to him if you want, but you have to come out first.

We got units in the back ready to go in.

Have them stand by.

All right, Daniel, if you have Patricia and Milena in there, do the right thing and give yourself up.

[Sirens]

Come on, man, listen to her.

Daniel, there's cops everywhere.

You can't protect them from that, but we can.

[Crying]

Shh. Stay quiet.

Stay quiet.

Please, Danny.

Give up.

You know what?

She's right, Danny boy.

Huh? How did you get here?

What to do. What to do.

Get away.

Yo! I need a cigarette.

You got a cigarette?

And it better not be mentholated neither.

Yeah, I got one.

She doesn't need a cigarette.

No. No, no, no. Stop.

You know, Danny, it really should have been you.

What?

No, stop. Stop!

No, don't give her the light.

She doesn't need the cigarette.

Ow!

You're sick. You should have never stopped taking the meds.

It should've been you, it should've been you, it should've been you.

It should have been me.

Danny, no!

Please, don't, Danny! We love you, too!

No, Danny. don't do it.

They're wrong, Danny.

Don't say that, Danny.

It's not your fault.

We love you.

Drop the w*apon.

Where's Patricia and Milena?

Protect them, please.

I can't protect them if you don't tell me where they are, Daniel.

Outside by the flowers.

♪ I'm so sorry ♪
♪ you said ♪

[Song continues indistinct]

Reid: That area back there.

[Song continues]

♪ ...dying light ♪

Hey, I need some shovels over here.

His mother must have helped him manage his illness, and after she was gone, it was only a matter of time before he went off his meds and unraveled completely.

And I bet he blamed them for her m*rder.

A stressor like that, it's no surprise he eventually snapped.

He didn't care about his other victims.

Why did he take the time to bury those two?

It was probably before his psychotic break became full-blown.

He knew them personally. He probably even cared about them.

♪ Without speaking... ♪
♪ She's my steady hand ♪
♪ my bitter... ♪
♪ My savior now ♪

[Song continues]

Reid: “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”

Albert Einstein.

[Indistinct chatter]

Oh, wait a minute. Pizza party?

I have two pizzas and they've just been delivered, which means they're extra delicious.

I smell mushrooms.

Pepperoni. Those from Riggio's?

Yes, they are. I thought you guys would be hungry upon your arrival.

Ooh, no, thanks. The smell grosses me out.

Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry. I had no idea.

No worries. This pregnancy thing can be freaky.

Ok, there's--there's something you're not telling us.

Yeah. I thought this would help you guys with all the extra work you have to do right now.

Whoa, whoa, what do you mean, extra work?

What's going on?

Cruz called. He wants all the case assessments for the congressional oversight meeting.

I knew it.

That meeting's not for another 3 weeks.

Yeah, it was, until they moved it to Monday.

But I have pizza. Not for you.

All right, everyone. Let's settle in.

Meg: So what time is he picking us up?

Markayla: Like 10 minutes ago.

[Text message tone]

Hurry up, we're late.

It's Kate. She's back in town.

I hate lying.

You would hate it more if we missed this 4for1 concert.

True.

And Bobby is hot, so you know he has cute friends.

He'd better.

He does. Now text her back before she starts worrying.

She's totally gonna know I'm lying.

She always does.

You need to relax. We're not gonna get caught.

We look too good to get caught.

[Text message tone]

Oh, no. It's Bobby.

He's stuck at work.

He's flaking again?

No. His mom is gonna pick us up and he's gonna meet us at the concert.

His mom?

At least now you can stop worrying that he's some kind of pedophile.

She probably drives a minivan.

I don't know, that seems weird.

Hi!

You must be Meg and Markayla.

I'm Paige, Bobby's mom.

Sorry I'm late.

You guys ready for the show?

Totally.

Hop in. You both look great.