08x01 - The sil*ncer

[bunniefuu]

Man: Jake!

[thunder]

Take it easy.

Take it easy.

Uhh! Stop!

Get his limbs.

Epileptic?

Not that I know of.

Let's go.

[siren]

So what was it?

Severe allergic reaction.

Oh, he did it on purpose.

He's suicidal?

He's homicidal.

I've found there ain't much difference.

You know, I never have figured out why they call you in.

What's the point of saving a scumbag like this?

He'll only k*ll someone else the second he gets a chance.

That's above my pay grade.

Overcrowded anyway.

You think the taxpayers want to save this idiot?

[groaning]

[gasps]

Put it down.

Don't you go doing nothing stupid, boy.

'Cause I'll tell you why.

They'll never let you out of that damn hole again.

Put...it...down.

That's it.

Yeah.

[grunts]

That's it, boy.

That's it.

Uhh! Uhh...

[groans]

[whimpering]

[choking]

Ok, you never give your vote on who should get what.

Give Reid the mug.

Really? That means that JJ gets the double-decker bus?

I thought that was for Kevin.

Never mind.

Wait, where is everybody?

Don't tell me they're still in Seattle.

Hi! Hey!

You guys are back. Hi.

Oh, my made it.

Give me a squeeze.

Oh, you guys look great.

[English accent] Cheers.

How's it going?

How's Emily doing?

Brilliant and lovely.

Her apartment's off the chain.

You mean her flat.

You have to take a shaky old lift to get to the top, but the view is brilliant.

For my favorite bloke.

Hey, I love it!

Thank you!

Thanks.

How was temporary duty?

Oh, it was around the clock.

I thought I'd get a little more of a vacation, but...

Did you watch the Olympics at all?

I did see a little track and field, but the queen bee here, she saw everything.

Emily is for real hooked up over there.

She sends her love. And tea of the month starts next week.

Ohh. I miss her.

Don't even get me started.

Hey, how's the new?

Is she nice?

Yeah, she is.

I'm just asking.

Reid, do you know when she was recruited she was 24?

I've guest lectured in her forensic linguistics class before.

Of course you have, 'cause she's a professor and an agent, which is so impressive.

Mm-hmm.

No, really, she's great.

And driven, clearly.

Berkeley grad, double major, Bureau star of the Unabomber case.

And she teaches at Georgetown.

When she's not doing that, she's SSAing at the Washington Field Office, and she's a Ph. D.

Does that mean I have to call her doctor? What?!

I did some research on her 'cause I couldn't sleep on the plane.

And my point is, clearly, she is smart and capable, but is she nice?

[Clears throat]

Oh, dear God, this is happening, where I talk and the person is behind...

Me.

The origin of "nice" is 12th century middle English, meaning foolish or stupid.

I hope you're referring to the modern use of the adjective.

You must be Penelope.

I'm Alex Blake.

Nice to meet you.

Really, actually nice in the nicest of ways nice.

I'm Derek Morgan.

Welcome back.

How was Seattle?

The unsub made Ridgeway look like a saint.

He even used his own kid to bait the victims.

Well, we've seen that before.

No doubt we'll see it again.

Don't unpack.

Garcia, the files.

Yeah. The files. Oh, God.

A few hours ago there was a prison transfer to the county hospital in Abilene, Texas.

The ambulance crashed and the prisoner escaped.

He's wearing the EMT uniform, and he's armed with the guard's w*apon.

Aren't the U. S. Marshals on this?

Yes, they are, but they need your help because this is what they found inside.

The EMT and the driver d*ed in the accident.

The guard, however, suffocated.

Blake: What's on his mouth?

It was sewn shut.

So the prisoner is the sil*ncer.

Or this guy's a copycat.

Forensics confirmed it's the same unique double-knot ligature he used in all 3 murders.

His last known victim was in 2004 and he was never caught.

So he didn't go dormant by choice. He was locked up.

Well, why not just escape?

If he hadn't sewn the guard's mouth shut, we would never know it was him.

Rossi: He wants us to know he's back.

We've got his face.

What's his name?

John Doe. He was pulled over in '04 for a traffic violation.

No registration, no tags.

He carried no I. D.

No way he did 8 years for that.

They searched the car and found a g*n with a sil*ncer.

A sil*ncer. He was practically telling them who he was and no one made the connection.

It's a federal offense, carries a 30-year minimum sentence.

But it was actually what he did inside that guaranteed him life without parole.

He k*lled two men while inside.

And never said a word.

Mm-hmm. He spoke with his fists.

Remaining silent for 8 years takes a hell of a lot of self-restraint.

Maybe it was a conditioned response.

Garcia's gathering all the files from '04.

We'll catch up on the plane.

Wheels up in 30.

Alex.

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to see you before the Seattle case.

Congratulations.

It took a lot of hard work to get a sh*t here.

It wasn't easy.

It's been a long time.

I've got a plane to catch, Erin.

Good luck.

♪ Criminal Minds 8x01 ♪

The sil*ncer
Original air date on September 26, 2012

♪

Hotch: "As I grow older, "I pay less attention to what men say.

I just watch what they do."

Andrew Carnegie.

Did any of you work on the sil*ncer case?

That was during my extended sabbatical.

We all consulted, but nobody made the trip to Texas.

Why not? 3 women in 4 months.

It's a textbook k*ll rate.

An undeniable signature.

Obvious surrogates.

We weren't invited by the local police.

Aren't you tired of that?

Welcome to our world.

The women he k*lled were beaten and left in open ditches.

That physical representation of his anger is missing this time around.

He must do something else that satisfies him.

The signature is the same, but his victimology couldn't be more different.

The guard was clearly a victim of necessity.

But if he's in need-driven behavior such as sewing mouths shut, how can he control that and only do it to the guard?

Maybe he just ran out of time.

Or he could want the guard to suffer in silence.

Literally makes his victims shut up.

It seems obvious, but, uh, there may be something to that.

Then the question is why?

Morgan, you and JJ go to the M. E.

Reid, you and Dave check out John Doe's cell.

Blake and I will head to the U. S. Marshals.

SSAs Hotchner and Blake.

Bob Tilghman.

Thank you for coming.

I got my whole team on this.

Any leads yet?

Well, the wreck happened out in the middle of nowhere after midnight.

The sun comes up at 6:00.

So we figure that he's on foot somewhere within a 12-mile radius of the accident site.

You think he's moving on foot in this heat?

Well, it'll k*ll you under the best conditions.

He stole some supplies, but not enough to hole up too long.

So you can expect him to be active tonight.

Well, where can we set up?

Right in here.

Passing any coffee by chance?

I just started a pot.

We got his picture plastered everywhere.

But if he's hiding, he's hiding.

It's gonna be awful hard to weed him out.

I'm not good at waiting.

Neither am I.

We've been keeping the media at bay.

We don't want them to know too much.

You should try to keep it that way.

What's all this?

His first crimes.

They mean more to us now that he's k*lled again.

So he came out just as sick as he went in.

You think he's gonna move or wait?

Well, he kills at night, which means that's when he's most confident.

If waiting for dark is the smartest move, that's what he'll do.

Everything points to a solitary existence.

You know, interestingly enough, the most worn book is "The Count of Monte Cristo."

Of course it is.

The hero's only reason for living was to seek vengeance.

Maybe he relates.

It's in French.

I didn't see that coming.

Looks like he wrote a lot too.

He's been pent up physically and verbally far too long.

So he gets into his first fight within days of being here.

It got him a week's worth of solitary.

That pattern escalated until he eventually k*lled an inmate, got out of solitary and k*lled another.

So he silences his victims before he gets inside.

His actions get him silenced while he's here.

Ironic?

Fortuitous.

Looks like he has two forms of expression-- silence and rage.

We need to find out why he's operating in these extremes.

Maybe it's in his writings.

The suture is 6-zero nylon, P-3 needle, 13-millimeter long, 3/8 circle.

A dozen of these would come in a box.

The suture drawer was empty on the ambulance.

Then he's got a lot more.

His technique isn't like a mortician.

It looks like the stitching is strictly through the lips.

It's rather crude what he's done.

You see how the nylon is stretched?

The victim struggled, which says the prisoner did it while this guy was still alive.

t*rture.

Just like the first victims.

Well, now that you've seen his handiwork, I'll open his mouth.

What do we have here?

"Gazing Through To The Other Side."

That's not much of a taunt.

Maybe it's not for us.

Then who?

What do you think?

Can I retract an earlier statement?

Sure.

There's nothing textbook about this case.

These victims suffered in ways that were painstakingly personal.

You think he was abused the same way?

Doubt his mouth was sewn.

That's his way of expressing frustration.

But there's something tied to the silence.

I'm thinking he stayed quiet in prison because he was ridiculed as a child when he talked.

By someone who looked like them.

He could have had a speech impediment.

It would have been severe-- a stutter maybe.

We've got ourself a reader over here.

In multiple languages.

Spanish, English, and German are the primary languages for Texas.

He reads in French, but most of his own writings are in English.

His handwriting is the size of courier type, and so far I've read 50,000 words.

And?

The small print tells me he's methodical, not always social.

The narrow spacing indicates a tremendous amount of irritability.

It looks like stream of consciousness.

Interesting.

His reading comprehension suggests above-average intelligence, but his writing is inferior.

Could be what he grew up hearing.

You two should guest-lecture together.

Oh, wait.

He literally put words in the guard's mouth.

Rossi: That's new.

Well, we think this is what we were missing.

The words give him the pleasure the beatings used to bring.

Reid: Maybe we had this wrong.

What if the ritual is sewing the mouths shut?

His signature used to be the beatings, but now it's putting words in their mouths.

Just when you think a signature doesn't get more solid than that.

What did he write?

"Gazing Through To The Other Side."

It's not an anagram.

Is that a phrase in anything you've read so far?

No. It's not a well-known literary reference either.

Well, the words mean something to him, otherwise he wouldn't share it.

It's gonna get dark soon.

He'll be on the move.

You want us on the road with the Marshals?

No, I think we should concentrate on remote locations.

He's not just escaping detection, he's a recluse.

He'll be attracted to isolated locations.

[Country Western song playing]

[Indistinct lyrics]

[Drill whirs]

[Clank]

What are you doing?

Hey! I said, what are you doing?!

Answer me!

You dumb son of a bitch!

[siren whoops]

[Indistinct chatter]

[Siren]

We have all the highways covered, roadblocks on the rural routes.

He must have stolen a vehicle and just laid low.

How'd you know to look here?

It's local and isolated, just like him.

They found the EMT's shirt in the trash.

Great. So we don't know how he's dressed.

Just the fact that he stole wheels from the garage here.

I don't know what kind of car to look for because I don't know what was here.

Found some names and numbers.

My guess is these are customers whose cars they were working on.

Any makes or models?

Parts ordered.

That's about it.

So the attendant's motorcycle is still out front.

Why didn't he take that?

He could have gone off road.

It would have been faster.

Yeah, but he can sleep in a car.

Well, this place isn't far from last night's accident.

6 miles away.

The choppers and the dogs covered this area, but he still got away.

JJ: You ever seen a fugitive stay this close for so long?

Just depends on how patient he is and what he has to prove.

"Waiting on the Taste of Honey, the Smell of Summer."

Tilghman: What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Sounds like a list of things he missed when he was locked up?

Why does he need us to know that?

Call Blake.

Bring her up to speed.

[Telephone rings]

You have not called me all day.

Seriously?

Now that superwoman is on the case, you don't need me, huh?

Ok, you know what? I'm gonna chalk that up to a little jet lag and let's start this thing over.

Ring ring. I'm looking for my baby girl.

Your wish is my command.

There you go.

That's much better.

I need Blake's number.

Seriously?! Are you kidding?!

Hotch asked me to call her.

So call Reid.

He's probably glued to her.

All right, that is unnecessary roughness.

You, my sweet, need to settle down.

[Sighs] No, I know, I know.

I just--I...

I thought this would be easier.

I know. So did I.

Garcia, Blake's number?

Just sent you her v-card.

Thank you, My Lady.

You're welcome, my love.

[Sighs]

Ohh...

[Cell phone rings]

Blake.

Hey, it's Morgan.

Get another note?

Yep.

Mind if I put you on speaker?

That's how we do it.

"Waiting on the Taste of Honey...

The Smell of Summer."

"And the Sight of the Other Side."

3 of the senses. We're only missing sound and touch.

This guy's like Jekyll and Hyde.

Writes a decent thought and then sews it in the mouth.

Whatever he is, he's romanticizing the hell out of this.

Thanks, Morgan.

Sure.

[Sighs]

"Gazing through to the other side, waiting on the taste of honey, the smell of summer."

Do you think he's telling us about a place?

Well, it sounds like it.

But...

Where?

Hotch: We can't tell you exactly where this unsub's going or what he's thinking, but his actions will betray his intentions.

Tilghman: And how's that?

Earlier tonight at the gas station, he could have stolen money, but the cash register wasn't empty.

That tells us that he's not planning a long road trip.

And yet he's logical enough to be in survival mode.

So logic tells him to escape. I get that.

But what the hell makes him sew mouths shut?

It's a compulsion over which he has no control.

So how do we stop him?

Morgan: Well, truth shows itself through actions.

What's this guy's truth?

He feels silenced.

Agent Hotchner has a theory that he had a speech impediment that made him embarrassed to talk.

He may have been relentlessly teased because of it.

His prior victims tell us a woman, likely a mother figure, is to blame.

Chances are she was abusive and convinced him that whatever words he had were worthless.

Tilghman: This guy hasn't spoken a word in 8 years.

Could he be mute?

Blake: Definitely not.

You sound pretty damn sure.

He refers to IPA in a few of his personal writings.

Tilghman: What's IPA?

International Phonetic Alphabet.

It represents only those qualities of speech that are in spoken language.

It's proof that he's able to hear, which means most likely he can talk but chooses not to.

Then what's he use it for?

He uses multiple languages, which highlights his desire to communicate.

IPA is an interesting choice.

I've found that those who understand something as detailed as that are also proficient in sign language.

So these words that he's leaving in the mouth are directly taunting us?

Those messages--

Have not been analyzed yet.

Not to change the subject, but he's incredibly well read, which tells us that he most likely grew up in isolation, with literature being his only escape.

His own writings are not as profound, and despite his reading comprehension, we don't believed he's had an extended education.

Everything about his psychosis says the spoken word has value.

It also greatly angers him.

And if he was yelled at or made to feel stupid, he held on to his anger until he snapped.

Tilghman: So why hasn't he fled the area?

I mean, he knows there's a manhunt going on here.

Wouldn't he want to get as far away as possible?

JJ: Well, he could be on a mission.

We just don't know if that mission includes a person or a place.

But we do know his target is close to here.

Hotch: Thank you.

Excuse me. Blake.

Wouldn't you agree that his messages are relevant to the profile?

To a degree, yes.

A degree?

He basically signed his name to the murders.

He's never left word before.

That's a significant change of behavior, but you completely dismissed it.

Because the Marshals have their own agenda and will believe it's a taunt no matter what we tell them.

We don't need to give them any more fuel.

If the unsub needs to get his thoughts out, it's like he's reminding us of something, and until we know what that something is, I'm not comfortable speculating in front of them.

Well, how about the rest of us?

Dr. Reid and I are coming up with theories.

You're welcome to join us.

[Car won't start]

I don't know where this scar came from.

Well, he got into 23 fights over 8 years.

It's bound to leave a few marks.

Yeah, I know, but I read the records, and there's no indication of a scar behind his left ear.

What are you thinking?

Self-inflicted?

It could be.

The left side of his face is sagging in both photos.

Maybe he had a stroke or palsy?

So a facial deformity, a possible speech impediment.

That leads to pretty low self-esteem.

[Car won't start]

[Car starts]

JJ: How does 8 years locked up change someone?

Rossi: It takes away their voice.

But it doesn't take away his rage.

Time only makes it worse.

What if he started all those fights so he could be punished?

He was looking for quiet.

So getting into fights wasn't about his rage.

It was about getting what he wanted.

Silence.

Daddy will be right back.

[Baby crying]

Marshal, where are the parents?

Father's in the stall dead.

No sign of the mother.

He stole the victim's I. D., so I have no idea who he is or what type of vehicle we're looking for.

Was there another message?

They're looking right now.

This baby is only a few months old.

He's too young to hold the bottle by himself.

Maybe the father fed him.

You wouldn't take the baby out of the safety of your car in the middle of the night.

Then you're telling me this guy k*lled a man then came out here to care for the baby?

That's exactly what he did.

He stayed with him while he slept and then gave him his pacifier.

Well, then maybe he's not that far away.

There were no words left in the mouth this time.

Hotch: I think caring for the baby is his message.

Then he must relate to the child.

Maybe he's obsessed with the nurture he didn't get.

Or simply wanted him to be quiet.

Hotch: He's telling us he has boundaries?

No, he's too unstable for that.

I'd consider him lucky.

Scissors...

Suture kits, medical tape.

What's he trying to tell us?

That he's finished k*lling?

He left his tools behind.

That usually means you're gonna call it quits.

He didn't leave the stolen g*n.

He's not giving up.

Ok, so he leaves words until today.

Maybe he's closer to what he's looking for?

He could have already found it.

If he feels satisfied, he may disappear.

Mm. We're too close to let that happen.

All right, then we go back to the first kills.

3 women, late 40s, all working class.

Mothers, brunettes, beaten and left in a ditch.

That was his message.

He hated them.

Maybe he's not targeting women anymore because he's already k*lled the person he blames.

Blake: Most likely his mother.

We should have Garcia run all of the victims' names again.

[Ring]

At your service.

Pull up the '04 victims.

Done.

All right, we need a list of their children.

Ok, next of kin, state welfare, give me a sec.

Gotcha! Ok.

Some were put into foster care after their moms d*ed, runaways, truancy, not good.

Any incarcerated?

A handful. Do you have any more parameters?

Uh, not yet.

Just send us the list.

Comin' at ya now.

All right, let's start with the first victim.

Julie Myers.

3 boys--

Mark, Greg, and John.

Born '70, '72, '74.

History of truancy.

Child services lost track of them.

Is there any family history of Cajun French?

Yeah. Julie Myers was born in New Orleans.

Could explain his interest in language.

Let's jump ahead to his most recent behavior.

He leaves all of this behind.

Is it his version of surrender?

What's the medical tape for?

He didn't use it on any of the victims.

Yet is was important enough for him to steal from the ambulance.

Maybe he's using it on himself.

We said that he may have some kind of nerve damage.

If that's the case, his eye won't shut by itself.

Maybe he has to tape it down.

It's his left eye, the same side where the recent scars are.

Under his ear.

What if he was trying to stop from hearing.

That's pretty severe, taking a Kn*fe to your own head.

He may have had an implant.

The electronic pulses enhance natural sound.

If all he wants is peace, an implant is like having a speaker that goes to 11.

[Beep]

That was fast.

Any of the children have a cochlear implant?

Uh, 1988, John Myers.

He was 14 at the time.

Yeah, his mom was paid 650 bucks for the medical trial.

Morgan: Was he deaf before that?

Had to be in order to participate.

Yikes. It was a highly experimental procedure.

It was tested on humans and not animals.

Caused quite the controversy.

So mom gives him the gift of hearing and it turns out to be a curse.

Spent his first 14 years in silence, gets lost in the world through books, learns languages-- anything to escape.

He's content, and then his mom gets paid to use him as a guinea pig.

And now he can't turn the noise off.

JJ: He blamed her and wanted her to suffer.

[Roaring sound]

[High-pitched squeal]

I told you to clean your room.

You're an idiot.

You...

[Speaking Cajun French]

I told you not to look at me!

Don't look at me!

Hey! Hey. I told you to do the dishes.

Oh, you deaf and dumb son of a bitch.

Hey!

Hey, you deaf dumb son of a bitch!

Look at me.

Talk to me!

Use your mouth!

These messages don't have a sense of geography, so he isn't leaving us a road map to his happy place.

They rarely do.

I don't think the writing is his own.

You said it wasn't written in any literature.

The phrasing is unnatural to the written word.

It's like an oral recollection.

Like a campfire story about paradise.

One that he's searching for.

And if he can't find it, he'll k*ll again.

[Indistinct chatter, loud engines]

[High-pitched squeal]

[Sounds become louder]

[Sounds continue louder, high-pitched squeal]

If these aren't his words, whose are they?

We need to find out who his neighbors were in prison.

He spent more time in solitary than he did in his own cell.

It's total darkness but not complete silence.

The inmates can speak through the walls.

Let's see which fellow inmates did time in solitary when he was there.

I can't imagine that someone thrown in solitary is nice enough to tell campfire stories.

Some inmates get put there for their own protection.

That's true. We should start with those prisoners.

Hold on. See how he wrote "waiting on the taste of honey."

It's got southern U. S. roots, but more specifically, it's Texas south, a sub-dialect of southern English found in the north-central part of the state.

Right here--you wait for something that hasn't shown up, you wait on something that's nearby.

Then the taste of honey would be close.

Yes, and the storyteller is probably from north of here.

Fewer were thrown in the hole than you think.

Go ahead, Garcia.

Our unsub was the MVP of solitary.

He was in there more than any other prisoner.

Hotch: All right, we're looking for somebody who didn't belong in jail.

His offense would be minimal.

He might even be there for his own protection.

Uh-huh. I got a few.

Can you read off the hometowns?

Sure. Beaumont, Edinburgh, Sweetwater--

Sweetwater.

Who was that inmate?

Danny Tucker. Looks like he was only in for 2 months.

Well, it's long enough to tell stories to John Myers.

Hey, his family owns property near where you are.

It's really secluded, too.

With local honey, by any chance?

They are known for it.

That's where he's headed.

Garcia, is it a private property?

It was, but it's been sold.

They're building a housing development.

So it's not the hideaway he hopes it's going to be.

Where would he go?

He might blame Danny for lying to him. Garcia.

Danny's house is down the road from the development.

I'm sending his address to your phones now.

All right, Dave, you and Reid go to the site.

The rest of us will go to Danny's house.

Hey, I'm home.

Where's everybody?

Laura?

What the hell?

Danny...

Ok. Ok.

We don't have any money.

But, uh...you can take my truck.

Here's the keys.

Go ahead, now. Go on.

I'm not gonna tell anybody about this.

Just go on.

Danny, watch out!

Danny!

Oh, God.

What are you doing?

Somebody help us.

[Sirens]

You're on speaker, Garcia.

Hey, I was doing some digging 'cause that's what I do and I found something weird.

Danny Tucker was only ever in solitary.

So they never saw one another.

I can't tell you that for sure, but...

Well, we know Danny wasn't made for jail time.

He probably talked just to keep his sanity.

Sold the story of paradise to some guy stuck in darkness.

Gave him all that time to fantasize about the place, he finally gets free and he's convinced that finding it will solve everything.

Danny!

Oh, God, don't hurt him.

Please don't hurt him.

Please, please, please don't hurt him.

Please don't hurt him!

[Sobbing]

[Grunts]

Aah!

No. No!

Please don't hurt him!

[Grunting]

Stop!

Danny! Danny!

Danny... Danny?

Danny...

Danny!

Danny!

Please, don't hurt him--

John Myers, FBI.

Show me your hands.

Yeah.

Are you ok?

Put down the g*n.

John, you heard him.

Put it down.

Go on, now. It's ok.

See? I'll do it.

Ok?

It's your turn.

Slowly, please.

"He's a liar.

There's no peace."

Who's a liar?

Danny?

"There's nowhere to go."

"I'm not...

Going back in there."

There's no other way.

[g*nsh*t]

I doubt anyone had ever spoken to him with any kindness.

None of us should be denied that.

Hotch: "A man is known by the silence he keeps."

Oliver Herford.

Don't tell me there's another one.

There's always another one.

I told you we should have just gotten into our cars.

Where are we off to now?

Home.

You need to spend at least one night in your own beds.

You don't have to tell me twice.

Thanks.

Uh, yeah. Wait for me.

Agent Blake.

I owe you an explanation.

I know that you may not believe this, but the part of my job that I dislike the most is politics.

When you were blamed for arresting the wrong suspect in the Marathox case, I didn't stand up for you.

I let you take the fall.

No. No.

You cut my rope.

It was the highest-profile case we'd seen that year.

All eyes were on me.

It took a decade to recover.

But I can assure you that your reputation in the Bureau remained intact.

It sounds like you've convinced yourself that you didn't do any damage, but you did, Erin.

Well, that was never...

My intent.

I'm sorry.

And my hope is that we can get past it.

Maybe it doesn't matter to you, but I am glad that you're here.

Well, that makes two of us.

Good night.

You should go home and get some rest.

Don't tell me you're staying here.

Oh, just long enough to do the reports.

Ok, good.

Good night.

And you?

You and Strauss got a little history?

Uh...

In another life.

There's a story in there.

You heading out?

Hmm.

In a bit.

All right.

See you tomorrow.

Yep.

[Sighs]

Hi.

Hello.

Welcome back.

You're here late.

Yeah, I haven't really slept.

Well, join the club.

Can we start over?

Sure.

Hi. My name is Penelope, and I do not like change.

Well, you're not alone.

Well, I think it's worse for me than the others.

Ok.

I've always been like that.

It goes back-- this is not a therapy session.

I really wanted to explain--

It's--it's fine.

Honestly.

I heard you live in the district.

That can't be an easy commute.

That's really nice.

Nice, huh?

Thoughtful.

I don't even know if you drink coffee...

Oh, do I drink coffee and...

And anything else that keeps me going.

We have new teas coming in next week.

Proper tea?

As proper as it gets.

Can you get my brand?

I don't know.

I don't have a brand.

There's a--I could get you your brand.