16x21 - 'Judge, Jury ...'

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "NCIS". Aired: September 2003 to present.*
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The cases of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
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16x21 - 'Judge, Jury ...'

Post by bunniefuu »

Okay, I'm being headhunted.

You're gonna leave NCIS for a sexy, multimillion dollar job at one of the coolest tech companies in the world.

- Come back to bed and warm me up.

- I like the way you think.

I'll get this back to him tonight.

Then your assignment is over.

End the relationship immediately.

Then your assignment is over.

End the relationship immediately.

Your gift was a recording device.

All right, this stops now.

This is an off-the-books account.

That's a quarter-billion dollar slush fund with zero accountability.

- You traced the account.

- Whose is it?

Your boss.

What's the United States Secretary of Defense doing with a quarter of a billion dollars in a secret account?

♪ You can't touch this ♪

♪ You can't touch this ♪

♪ You can't touch this ♪

Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh-oh-oh

♪ You can't touch this... ♪

Hey, hey, hey, listen.

♪ My music makes me so hard ♪

Listen!

♪ Makes me say, "Oh, my Lord" ♪

(music stops)

(vehicle approaching)

(dog barking in distance)

(music playing over P.A.) Ice cream truck!

(excited shouting)

♪ ♪

Dad, Dad, I stole some money.

I'm getting a Klowny Kake bar.

I'll pay you back.

That's coming out of your allowance, bud.

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey, numbnuts.

If you get ice cream, I get the Nintendo!

Uh, Klowny Kake bar, please.

Thanks.

Ooh.

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

(video game beeping)

(door closes)

LARSON: Okay, you two.

It's been three hours, enough is enough.

Those video games will rot your brain.

Hey, late to dinner means no dinner.

(sighs)

Jen.

Your mom made roast.

(video game beeping)

- Where's your brother?

-Lying down.

Says he didn't feel good.

Back there.

Hey, bud, time to get up.

(shallow gasping)

(choking)

Tommy!

(gasping, choking)

- What's wrong?

- Oh, my God.

Stay back, honey.

Stay back.

JENNIFER: Daddy?

Is he okay?

(choking, gasping)

Hey, Kase.

You ready for court?

Sorry, uh, I didn't realize you were praying.

To the "Most Wanted" wall?

I wasn't.

Unless you think that would help.

Help with what?

Oh, my nerves.

I could really do without this part of the job.

Oh, well, testifying's kind of important.

You know, I dedicate my weekends to a federal initiative to get cold-case DNA into the system and this is what I get?

You mean... justice?

When you say it like that, I sound a little selfish.

Mm.

I mean, after two months of rebuilding a -year-old m*rder case, the man who poisoned a box of ice cream bars is finally going to prison.

Doesn't that help your nerves a little bit?

It makes them worse.

Just so much pressure to say the right thing in the right way.

We may not be on trial, but...

we're definitely being judged.

Intense, but courtrooms are designed to be intimidating.

That's why you got to go in guilt-free, baby.

Which is why I go to confession the morning I testify.

Really?

What are you guilty about?

Nothing now.

Clean slate.

See, the jury, they sense a good guy, trustworthy.

That's all that matters.

Yeah, and evidence.

Evidence is a given, but charm, well, charm is a gift.

That's why the prosecutor will choose me to testify and you to work the pictures on the easel.

Excuse me?

Well, somebody's got to work the easel, and it ain't gonna be me.

- (scoffs)

Okay, bucks.

- It's a bet.

KASIE: Okay.

Well, I can see this is no longer about me.

You'll be fine.

We will all be fine.

Right?

Counselor Hutchins, yes, I got enough "fine" for all of us.

I don't know what that means, but we have been over everyone's testimony, and if we present this case in a calm, orderly fashion, we win.

It's not about winning.

It's about justice.

Which is the whole reason my office moved up this court date.

Yeah, twice.

The sooner Stuart Crum goes to prison, the better.

Are you okay, Kase?

Nope.

- Not even in the slightest.

- Good.

Keeps you sharp.

(elevator chimes, doors open)

Well, you all have been thoroughly unhelpful.

Where is McGee when you need him?

Personal days.

With his wife and kids.

Again, when you say it like that, I sound a little selfish.

CLARISSA: Agent McGee, welcome to Cali, and welcome to the splendiferous world of Splendifida headquarters.

My name is Clarissa.

I'm with HR, and I'll be your tour guide during your visit.

- Very nice to meet you.

We were so glad to get your call, and so glad you're still considering our job offer.

Oh, yeah.

"Information Requests Liaison." (chuckles)

It's cooler than it sounds.

As a leading provider of technology devices and Internet data services, we handle upwards of , data requests and warrants from law enforcement each year.

NCIS was one of them.

Exactly, so who better to lead our entire division than a former federal agent?

Well, I don't know about "former" yet.

Now, before I make my final decision, I wanted to spend a couple days here, you know, see what this place is about.

- Splendiferous.

We already have your signed nondisclosure agreement, so the only thing left to do is to give you this.

This lanyard is enabled with our "Mary Beth" voice assistant.

Anything you need, just ask.

- Mary Beth, say hello.

MARY BETH: Hello, NCIS Agent Timothy Farragut McGee.

(chuckles)

Wow.

Pretty cool, huh?

Yeah, specific.

Um, listen, if it's okay with you, I'd rather not wear Mary Beth around my neck.

Everybody has a Mary Beth.

Nothing personal.

I'm just, I'm not a big fan of-of gadgets that are always listening and watching.

"Splendifida does not record, review or compile consumer data without express consent." Not to mention, this lanyard opens doors, pays for lunch, pretty much gives you access to everything we have to offer.

Agent McGee, think of Mary Beth as your own personal Splendifida "cheat code." Well, in that case...

Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, select, start.

Unlimited lives granted!

Let's go.

All right.

BAILIFF: All rise. Hear ye, hear ye.

This court is now in session.

The Honorable Judge Miles Deakin presiding.

Thank you.

You may be seated.

Our k*ller got dressed up today.

Mm, you think he went to confession, too?

Some sins are unforgivable.

Before we begin, I understand the defense has a request.

(mouthing)

MADSON: Uh, Your Honor, given the history of this case, uh, media attention has gotten out of hand.

Due to the crowds outside of the building, my client, Mr.

Crum, is asking for a private entrance so as to avoid any undue harassment.

(gallery murmuring)

Order.

(gavel bangs)

Are you kidding me?

Order.

Order.

(gavel bangs)

Mr.

Madson, are you serious?

It seems so, Your Honor.

My client would like to remind the court that he does have rights.

What about my son?

Tommy had rights, too!

(gavel bangs)

- Order.

LARSON: He had rights, and you k*lled my boy!

m*rder*r!

(gavel bangs)

Order in the court!

You m*rder*r!

Bailiff, I want that man removed from my courtroom!

(shouting)

- Let's go.

- m*rder*r!

My son deserves justice!

You m*rder*r!

(gavel bangs)

m*rder*r!

I'm so sorry, Agent Gibbs.

This whole thing has reopened some old wounds.

Yeah, well, some never heal.

Do you have kids?

Had a daughter.

How long ago?

About the same as you.

years is a long time to bleed.

So the judge kicked me out?

Yeah, and you're lucky it wasn't contempt or a mistrial.

Your people, NCIS, will get justice for Tommy?

Not just for him.

So, Agent Bishop, we are here today because of a federal initiative to get cold-case DNA into modern systems.

DNA which produced a match to the defendant, Stuart Crum.

Is that correct?

Yes.

If you'll look to Exhibit A.

The so-called " Ice Cream m*rder." Six Klowny Kake ice cream bars were partially cut open and laced with strychnine poison.

Five children fell critically ill.

And Thomas Larson eventually d*ed.

Yes.

It caused a nationwide panic.

Objection.

How can Agent Bishop speak to something that happened years ago?

Was this witness even alive in ?

BISHOP: Actually, I was.

I was four years old, and I vividly remember my father forbidding me and my brothers from running out to the ice cream truck.

Still object, Counselor?

HUTCHINS: Where did NCIS-- then called N.I.S.-- originally find the DNA?

A hair follicle was found in one of the wrappers of the poisoned ice cream bar, but of course, there was no database back then.

Now there is, and you get a match to Mr.

Crum.

What happens next?

Well, we interviewed witnesses, pulled records, and we confronted Mr.

Crum.

And what did Mr.

Crum say?

He confessed.

To everything.

(gallery murmuring)

Thank you.

No further questions.

Mr.

Madson?

Agent Bishop...

was Stuart Crum ever a suspect in ?

No.

Only in , after the DNA match.

And during your interrogation, did Mr.

Crum appear anxious or scared?

- Yes.

After Special Agents Gibbs and Sloane laid out the mountain of evidence against him.

That's usually how it works.

Ice cream?

I hate ice cream.

SLOANE: Interesting, Stuart.

So, how did your DNA get inside the wrapper of a poisoned ice cream bar?

CRUM: What do you want me to say, huh?

- That I did it?

- Yeah.

That works for us.

I wanted those kids to get sick, okay?

But it was years ago and only one of the kids d*ed.

(gallery gasping, murmuring)

HUTCHINS: Agent Sloane, does Mr.

Crum appear at all remorseful to you?

- No.

Thank you.

Mr.

Madson?

Agent Sloane...

just because my client was an underpaid truck driver, that makes him a k*ller?

At the time of the poisoning, Mr.

Crum was in a dead-end job.

His wife had just left him for a Naval officer, and he was angry, alone and seemingly powerless over life in general.

In your opinion.

In my professional opinion.

He wanted to reassert himself.

So he took industrial rat poison from his workplace, and used it to create public panic.

It made him feel good.

In control.

Like God.

Do you know what this is?

SLOANE: A blank piece of paper.

This... is Mr. Crum's criminal record.

Because...

he has none.

He was a suspect in a robbery two years ago.

MADSON: Mr.

Crum was never charged, and Maryland police issued a full apology.

Sociopaths love gratification.

Agent Sloane, if my client is the violent, cunning, and malicious k*ller you accuse him of being, why is his life a clean slate?

Let me be clear.

I do not think that Mr.

Crum is a serial k*ller.

Thank you, Agent Sloane.

No further questions.

For some K*llers, once is enough.

(gallery murmuring)

(knock on door)

Officer Clark, come in.

Director Vance.

Is Gibbs joining us?

No, he's in court.

I don't like this.

My coming to NCIS draws attention.

All due respect, Director, it's been weeks since I came to you and Gibbs asking for help.

And now, there's nothing.

This is my job.

Maybe even my life that's on the line with this.

I'm well aware.

There's $ million sitting in an offshore account in the Caymans.

- I remember.

- And no one knows who's using it because the only name associated with it is the United States Secretary of Defense.

This goes right to the top.

And we can't exactly go straight to SecDef, can we?

(sighs)

No, sir.

Or pull Pentagon records, or even breathe in the general direction of that account until we know more, Officer Clark.

So you've been thinking about it.

- More than thinking.

- So you have a plan?

Last time we talked, you called us the "good guys." Don't the good guys always have a plan?

We have an inside man looking into account records via a back door as we speak.

So... we're here, Gibbs is in court...

Where's this "inside man"?

California.

Oh... this is so nice.

We've found that frequent napping actually boosts productivity.

Does NCIS have a break room?

Three vending machines and a microwave.

Our -hour commissary offers a wide variety of fresh produce and made-to-order meals.

I could get used to this.

MARY BETH: It's time for your visit to the consumer electronics division.

Ready to go?

You know what?

I was, uh, I was actually hoping we could maybe tour Government Cloud Services.

Why?

I mean, like most major data players such as Amazon and Google, we do have Pentagon contracts.

But next to product R&D, U.I. development, our self-driving car test track, an empty server room feels pretty boring.

Yeah.

You know, I'm just-- I'm super curious to see what kind of zero-trust model you implement.

As you know, perimeter-centric technologies are only half of InfoSec these days.

Of course.

Right.

Uh, I guess I could have Mary Beth add it to tomorrow's events.

That would be great.

Thank you.

(tablet dings)

Done.

- Shall we move on?

- Please, after you.

HUTCHINS: How reliable was this DNA evidence?

I mean, it's from , right?

Hair root tissue does not degrade if it's well preserved.

And this was kept in an environmentally-controlled, secure evidence locker.

So, this was a "good" sample?

Put it this way: I dream of many things-- of world peace, space travel, cohosting a podcast with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

(laughter)

But as a forensic scientist, a DNA sample this clean is at the top of my list.

Thank you very much, Ms. Hines.

Mr. Madson, your witness.

(quietly): Oh, boy...

Yes.

Mr. Madson, we're waiting.

Um, no questions, Your Honor.

Ms. Hines, you may step down.

Oh.

For real?

Yes.

Uh, sidebar, Your Honor?

Please.

What happened?

Did-did I mess up?

- No.

No, you didn't.

- What's going on?

Uh, ladies and gentlemen, in light of new information, I'm suppressing all DNA evidence.

Further, I'm going to strike any DNA-related testimony, including the testimony we just heard from Ms.

Hines.

I messed up.

- No, you didn't.

BISHOP: Gibbs.

MADSON: Your Honor.

How did this happen?

MADSON: It has been established that DNA evidence is the only reason NCIS found my client.

It is fruit of the poisonous tree and so is everything after that.

I move for an immediate mistrial.

(gallery murmuring)

Ms.

Hutchins?

Your Honor, you cannot let this man walk.

He confessed to m*rder.

Which is no longer admissible.

Do you have any legal grounds to object?

No, Your Honor.

Then the motion is granted.

Mr. Crum, you're free to go.

What a nightmare.

How did this get missed?

I was wondering the same thing.

Oh, don't put this on me.

Hey, I don't know what "this" is.

I do know a guilty man just walked free.

DEAKIN: Stuart Crum's DNA should never have been in the database.

It's there now.

HUTCHINS: When Crum was questioned in the robbery two years ago, he gave a DNA sample, which eventually cleared him of all charges.

DEAKIN: Per an amendment to subtitle five of the Maryland police code, that sample should've been destroyed.

But it wasn't, Judge.

- No.

- Instead, Maryland police mistakenly added it to CODIS, allowing NCIS to get a hit, which legally, never should have happened.

No DNA, no Crum.

No Crum, no confession.

I was bound by law to declare a mistrial.

Colt, what's happening out there?

Press still roaming the halls.

You got food and water for a few days?

If only more people understood that the scales of justice are rarely balanced.

(sighs)

Never gets easier to stomach.

No.

But...

Ms. Hutchins, you and NCIS have to start all over.

Without knowing that Stuart Crum exists.

That's impossible.

That's the law.

For better or worse.

Worse.

Look, I'll do what I can to help, but I cannot give the appellate court grounds for overturning.

It's got to be done by the book.

If you can make a case at all.

Clearly, the law works.

Innocent until proven guilty.

Well, I do look forward to a full apology from the U.S. attorney's office and NCIS.

And that's all I have to say for here.

For appearances or, uh, interviews, please just, just contact my lawyer.

(reporters clamoring)

What do you have to say for yourself now, Agent Gibbs?

- My son's k*ller's going free!

- We'll get him.

You said that already.

How would you feel if he k*lled your kid?

Am I supposed to just forget the face of the man that took my child?

- No.

Then if you don't make Crum pay, I will!

One way or the other!

You don't want to do that.

It's not a matter of want!

It's need, because you can't do your job!

Get out of the way.

Get out of my way, get!

Move!

Bet's a bet.

No.

Winning is no longer fun.

This is a -year-old case.

We were lucky to get what we had before.

All we need is another way to get his DNA.

Let's follow him.

That's illegal.

We have to forget that we know him, remember?

That's crazy.

I mean, we know where the treasure is buried.

GIBBS: We can't dig!

The treasure confessed.

Let's go through his trash.

BISHOP: We can't.

Well, it wouldn't be the first time we bend the rules just a little bit.

We're not giving his lawyer amm*nit*on.

That guy does not go free again.

Amen.

Okay, so...

how do we do that?

Well, start with getting that off the screen.

This is incredible.

How is it sensing my hands without gloves?

Until you're an employee, I can only show you the magic.

And these babies don't hit the market until late .

Gonna be hard to wait.

I've tasted the forbidden fruit.

Well, if you sign start paperwork, you'll be able to join a beta testing group right away.

What do you say?

Ready to become a "Splendid"?

(phone rings)

Oh.

Uh, just give me one sec.

I got to take this.

Bishop, hey.

What's wrong?

How do you know something's wrong?

Well, you never call me on personal days.

I used to like that about you.

I know, I know, I'm sorry.

I just-- Things are bad here.

Is there any way you can come into the office to help out?

Uh, no, not really.

Okay.

Okay.

Never mind.

Why?

What happened?

No, I-I don't want to tell you.

I don't want you to think about it while you're with your family.

Well, I wouldn't hold your breath.

MARY BETH: How can I help you, Agent McGee?

McGee.

Was that a Mary Beth?

Um, yes.

I thought you hated those things.

Privacy issues and all.

And why is she calling you "Agent McGee"?

(quietly): Um, it's a power thing.

MAN (over P.A.): Attention, all you Splendids, the Taco Tuesday truck is now open on the south lawn.

Tacos?

McGee, where are you?

I got to go, Bishop.

Johnny just threw up on the settee.

The "settee"?

Yeah, it's a thing.

Tacos.

Yo, this is evil.

(groans)

Seriously, Ducky, you can't expect us to go through all of these.

Each one of those files represents an NCIS investigation where the accused went free on a legal technicality or mistake.

It's meant to be enlightening.

Okay, great, except it's depressing.

Well, this is the job.

Time to get back in the game, folks.

A lot of these cases have been successfully retried.

Okay, so you think there's something useful in here?

Something to help us bring down Stuart Crum?

Yep.

No, I'm with Nick.

This is just depressing.

Man, what are we even doing?

Banging our heads against the wall?

So, let's keep banging until we break through.

Yeah.

Otherwise...

Mr. Crum will remain a free man.

MAN: Stay on him.

(indistinct chatter)

MAN: My man, we got next!

(chatter continues)

Mmm.

(chuckling)

Hey, you got to box out on the rebound!

(laughing)

(indistinct chatter)

(groans)

(sighs, chuckles)

(choking)

Hey, man.

BISHOP: Park police found the body this morning.

Dead gets us DNA now.

Oh, yeah.

You know, if I was a songwriter, I'd write a song about today.

It'd be something really catchy.

Yeah, nothing like dancing to the untimely death of a child m*rder*r.

Untimely?

Come on.

The guy decided to celebrate going free and took too many happy pills.

Uh, we won't know the official cause of death until autopsy, Nick.

I'll give you the cause of death.

That looks like oxycodone.

And there's a dead body next to it.

JIMMY: Well...

pinpoint pupils, cotton mouth.

They are consistent with an overdose.

Karma?

Karma, luck, whatever.

The universe just balanced a scale.

Saved us time and the taxpayers' money.

I'd say it's a pretty good day.

- - There's no vomit.

What?

It's the body's natural defense system when it ingests something bad.

Usually, when there's an accidental overdose, the body tries to expel the dr*gs.

This man did not vomit.

So, what are you saying, Jimmy?

I am saying we should wait until autopsy.

Well, our previous investigation into Crum showed no history of drug use.

Oh, come on, we're not calling this guy a victim.

Come on, nobody cares about this guy.

Hey, it's not about him.

It's about justice, yeah, but this feels like natural justice.

It's our job to find out.

Well, an accidental OD so soon after going free does seem a wee bit convenient.

Yeah, it's convenient.

We get to tell Tommy's dad that the k*ller's dead.

Isn't that what he wanted?

That's the problem.

If this wasn't an accident, the dad becomes our lead suspect.

Right.

Let's make sure.

KASIE: Blood came back.

Crum had enough oxy in his system to drop a rhino.

- Hardly a recreational dose.

- Hmm.


Hairline fracture?

On Crum's left clavicle, to go along with the slight bruising on his neck.

Someone choked this guy out, then force-fed him?

Wish I could say otherwise.

Oh, m*rder is m*rder.

If somebody k*lled this guy, it's wrong, Jimmy.

Yeah, but he was, like, an exceptionally bad person.

Yeah, you're talking to the woman who just confirmed that he was the Ice Cream k*ller.

While our current justice system is far, far from perfect, it's better than blind vengeance.

It has to be, right?

And we have dedicated our lives to it.

So we treat this like the crime it is, and we call this man a victim.

So?

What do you got, Doctor?

Right.

Our victim was k*lled between : and : p.m. last night.

But there's nothing on his body or in his car to tell us who the k*ller was.

How about you?

Uh, other than his own fingerprints, the only thing at his home was electronics.

Laptop, phone...

It's time for both of us to dig a little deeper into Mr. Stuart Crum.

Me figuratively and you literally.

And justice for all.

GIBBS: Federal agents!

NCIS!

Kyle Larson!

TORRES: Mr.

Larson?

Yeah?

Down here.

I saw it on the news.

Crum was m*rder*d.

News didn't say m*rder.

But I made very public threats, and, uh, now you're here, right?

This is the same basement your son d*ed.

Ah, I got the house in the divorce.

- You sleep down here?

-Sometimes.

When I see Tommy in my dreams, it can take a while to figure out it isn't real, but if I wake up down here, like a bucket of cold water.

Does drinking help?

Rarely, but I've stopped now.

- Since when?

- Last night.

What changed last night?

These yours?

I had back surgery.

Pain just still comes and goes.

Agent Gibbs, whatever I said to you in that courthouse, I promise I didn't k*ll Stuart Crum.

Help us prove it.

Where were you last night?

Down here.

Right.

Not drinking.

Anybody who can verify that?

I've wanted to k*ll the man who k*lled my family for years.

Now that he's dead, feels good, but I didn't do it.

Even if I did, could you blame me, really?

Alibi.

I have one, I swear.

I just don't want you to go and ruin things.

What things?

All right.

Mary Beth, please open the door to section .

MARY BETH: Agent McGee, you are one hour and minutes early for this part of your tour.

- Yes, I know.

- Open the door.

- No problem.

Yes.

I will alert Clarissa that you have arrived.

No, no.

Ooh, all right.

Thank you, Director.

Agent McGee, Clarissa says she is on her way.

I really hate you, Mary Beth.

I'm sorry you feel that way, Agent McGee.

Was it something I said?

- Oh, this isn't good.

MARY BETH: No, I'm good.

(knocking on door)

CLARISSA: Agent McGee?

Are you in there?

Good morning.

I didn't know you were coming in early.

Well, I was so excited, I couldn't get any sleep.

Said nobody ever about Government Cloud Services.

Did you see everything you wanted to see?

Totally, totally.

I love how Splendifida secures critical information assets at the source and not just the perimeter.

Do you have a bathroom around here?

Oh, down the hall to your right.

Great.

Oh, uh, would you mind holding this.

Don't want it to fall in.

Yes, I called my father last night around : p.m.

He was hesitant to admit that, Ms. Larson.

Call me Jen.

And it's probably because it was the first time the two of us had spoken in ten years, since Mom's funeral.

Wasn't an easy call to make.

He's been out of my life for a long time.

We were all devastated by Tommy's death.

I mean, I watched my older brother die, but...

losing Tommy broke Dad.

He was all anger all the time, so Mom left and she took me with her.

What changed last night?

Since the mistrial, I've been angry.

I mean, so angry that I didn't know what to do.

(phone vibrates)

Uh, which is when I realized that that's what Dad's been feeling for the last years.

That same anger.

And I-I'm not saying that he's right to carry it with him all that time, just that...

I finally understood it.

So...

I reached out to tell him that.

(phone vibrating)

Need to get that?

It's work.

It can wait.

So, you're a lawyer.

A public defender.

Dedicated your life to justice.

Well... like I said, Tommy's death affected us all differently.

So, phone records show your call lasted minutes.

Well, that call was just the start of a very long road to redemption.

What?

Is that bad?

Crum's m*rder was between : and : .

It's a two-hour window.

No... uh, that call helped Dad's anger.

He even said if I keep calling, he'd stop drinking; it's not like he hung up the phone and went on a k*lling spree.

You can't let this fall on him.

That man has been through hell.

(knock on door)

Apologies for the interruption.

Gibbs, a word?

You keep calling your dad, Jen.

We'll handle the rest.

Agent McGee has news.

I called Officer Clark to come in but he refuses to meet us here.

He's CIA, his job to be cautious.

Yeah, unless it borders on paranoia.

Okay, well, let's go someplace where he's comfortable.

All right.

GIBBS: It's open!

Director, Gibbs.

Sorry I'm late; I'm pretty sure I was being followed.

By whom?

Well, could be anyone at this point.

So this, this phone call better be helpful.

Agent McGee.

Would you please tell Officer Clark what you just told us?

McGEE: I was tasked with accessing government records.

Specifically SecDef's offshore account.

And what did our inside man find?

Well, after a $ million withdrawal last night, the account was then closed.

Closed?

By who?

I have no idea.

There's no transfer record.

And I don't know who withdrew that money, either.

So where did the rest of the $ million go?

- We also don't know that.

- Damn it.

They know we're digging.

Yes and we're gonna keep digging until we know more.

Get back into the records, McGee.

You hear me, McGee?

Uh...

I hear you, boss, but, um...

it may be kind of difficult.

Well, why?

I think I'm being arrested.

Did you know McGee was in California?

No.

Did you know about SecDef's secret offshore account?

You mean the one with $ million in it?

No.

What I don't get is what Vance wants us to do about it now that McGee's been caught.

That's what you don't get?

How could Gibbs keep something this big from us?

Well, Gibbs is gonna want answers, not hard feelings.

- Answers on McGee or answers on our k*ller, Stuart Crum?

Both.

What do we know?

Well, nothing new on either case.

Yeah, Kase.

Yeah, we're all on our way down.

Come on.

GIBBS: Go.

Please pull down your lap bars for the mother of all good news/ bad news roller coasters.

Good news: I got into Crum's laptop.

Oh.

And the bad news?

It was wiped clean sometime before he was k*lled, no help.

Is there any more good news?

Well, there's still a way to find a threatening e-mail or phone call that could lead us to our k*ller, because, like half of America, Crum had an online backup service.

So all we have to do is ask Splendifida for his cloud data.

Hmm.

Splendifida.

Yeah, that's not gonna work.

Mm, that was the good news.

Tech companies work with the police all the time.

Unless they catch one of your agents snooping in their servers.

Is that a euphemism?

Look, if we want Crum's data without a fight, we're gonna have to get a warrant.

How is that gonna help McGee?

BISHOP: Well, it doesn't.

It'll probably piss the company off even more.

(phone rings)

I mean, this could cause a legal nightmare, Gibbs.

That works.

Yeah.

Hey.

Hmm.

Were you ever considering our job offer, Agent McGee?

Or was it all a front to steal information?

I didn't steal anything.

Look, you confiscated my phone, you searched my person.

Thoroughly, thank you.

You have no right to hold me.

Clearly you didn't read the terms and conditions of your nondisclosure agreement.

Oh, come on, no one reads those things.

(phone rings)

You don't say a word.

This is Clarissa Bondurant with Splendifida Human Resources, with whom am I speaking?

Oh, I see.

Hello, sir, I-- A warrant?

Is this related to-- (tablet beeps)

Yes, it just came through on my e-mail.

But as to the matter of Agent McGee, we caught him looking through secure government servers.

Evidence?

Well, no, but...

No, sir.

However, I...

You, too.

Agent McGee, you are free to go.

I am?

With the understanding that you no longer have a job offer and will no longer be permitted to purchase any Splendifida products or services directly from the company.

Wow.

Agent Gibbs said all that?

Who's Agent Gibbs?

NCIS thanks you for fast-tracking our warrant, Judge Deakin.

I did tell Agent Gibbs I'd help.

And as for getting our agent off the hook...

I threw a little legal jargon around, you're lucky it worked.

Not exactly by the book, but not illegal, either.

Technicalities work both ways, Judge.

I suppose you're right.

- We done here?

- Yes, go.

You'll have to excuse him, Judge.

NCIS still has a k*ller to find.

I may have grossly underestimated Agent Gibbs.

He doesn't quit.

This was your idea, Kasie Hines.

You made Leroy Jethro Gibbs get a warrant for this data.

You will find something useful.

Question is, Kasie Hines, have you?

- (sighs)

No, there is nothing in these e-mails but more bad news.

- Mm-hmm.

So why are you smiling?

Because McGee was right.

- About what?

- Mary Beth is always listening.

Well, yeah, he's preached that gospel to me more than a few times.

But how does this relate to Stuart Crum?

So, when we searched Crum's house, I noticed Mary Beth devices all over.

And now that NCIS has all that Splendifida data...

You were able to test McGee's phobia.

Mm-hmm.

Not only did a few audio devices "accidentally" record...

Something the company swears their devices never do.

...a video-enabled Mary Beth on the kitchen counter triggered and "accidentally" caught this.

Ooh, somebody's creeping.

Oh, tell me it's not that poor dad.

BISHOP: It's not Kyle Larson.

That's the bailiff from court.

What's he doing there?

I think we should ask.

You going somewhere, Colt?

- No.

(door closes)

Well, that's funny.

'Cause airport security stopped you on your way to Germany.

You caught me.

I like schnitzel.

You were at Crum's house.

TORRES: Cell phone towers put you at the park at his time of death.

We know you k*lled him.

Who were you calling?

I've spent years in courtrooms watching people abuse the system.

The system was supposed to protect the innocent, not free the guilty.

To balance the scales, sometimes you have to apply pressure.

Did you?

It's time I avail myself of that very same system.

Guess that's one of the perks of the job.

I know good lawyers.

It's time I called one.

Now.

Yes, thank you.

So, as much as I love schnitzel, I don't think this guy went to Germany for the food.

According to the FAA, our bailiff was about to board a private charter.

- Expensive trip.

- Yeah, how'd he pay for it?

Oh, I know, I know.

Pick me.

Apparently, our bailiff had $ million waiting for him in Berlin.

It was transferred last night at : .

That's right after Crum was k*lled.

It's almost like...

our bailiff was paid for k*lling Crum.

If he was, that would...

That would make this a hit.

Who paid him?

Oh, you're gonna love this one.

Our hit man was paid with money from SecDef's secret account?

That's the withdrawal that McGee found.

How the hell is a hit on a low-life m*rder*r connected to a quarter-billion dollars of dark money?

- Got no idea.

- Yeah.

I'll call Clark.

Have him meet us.

Yeah, it's Vance.

- Federal agents!

MALLORY: In here.

Mallory?

Leon.

I'm unarmed.

Hands.

It's not what you think.
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