04x03 - Diminishing Returns

[bunniefuu]

Neal, you'll be running forever.

This is a way to set things right.

We're going home.

We're going home.

First day back. How you feeling?

I'm feeling pretty good.

I can tell. The limp's about gone.

Oh, yeah. There's still some tension, but it's nothing I can't walk off.

Picked the right town for it.

Casual stroll is the perfect excuse to get reacquainted with New York, speak the city's language again.

Ooh, wow. What'd the city say there?

"Welcome home."

When do you sit down with Hughes?

The second we get in.

I don't like this.

Don't start.

I go back to work, and you're placed under review and reassigned?

I'm sure it's only temporary.

I'm the one who ran.

And I'm the one who went after you when I was explicitly told not to.

I don't know where they're sending me.

It could be Organized Crime, Vice, VCU.

May not be that bad.

And you're fine with that?

Well, the timing could be better, I'll admit.

Oh, I'm sorry. Was there a better time for this to happen?

No, but I was planning on reopening a case, and I don't want anything slipping through the cracks.

Maybe I can look into it.

It's complicated, and it's out of my hands.

Take the day off.

No, no. Come on. Come on. Keep walking.

Your new assignment.

You're sending me to the Cave?

It's the evidence warehouse, and it's the best I could do.

What about Neal?

Your team will handle him.

My caseload?

Jones and Berrigan are on it.

'Cause you know this week --

Yeah, yeah. I know how important it is to you.

Look, another thing --

Some of the top brass may be looking for an excuse to shut you out.

Don't give them one.

Everybody wants you back here as soon as possible.

So, you know, work the Cave.

Keep your head down.

Got it?

I got it.

Evidence. How bad can it be?

You must be Burke.

You must be agent Patterson.

Uh, you can call me Peter.

You're late.

Yeah, I just got the assignment.

Well, let's skip the small talk and get to work.

In addition to keeping this place running, now I've got to babysit you and file daily reports for your review board.

Is that really necessary?

Your orders may have been open for interpretation back at White Collar, but not here, so get used to it.

Okay.

You punch in. You punch out.

You arrive a minute late, you leave a minute early, you answer to me -- No excuses.

Also, if I give you a deadline, you make damn sure you meet it.

One infraction, it goes in my report.

I understand.

This is my assignment?

Fresh batch of hot cellphones.

I need you to catalogue them by SIM card.

No problem.

Good.

Hey! Bring in the rest of them!

Yes, sir!

Your deadline's Friday morning.

Welcome to the Cave, Burke.

Am I interrupting anything?

Hey, Neal. What are you doing here?

Jones and Diana gave me a lunch break.

I figured you could use one, too.

Oh, I'd love one, but I-I got to finish this.

All right.

How's it, uh... how's it going for you?

Great. I've only got 2,000 more to go.

Wow. All right.

You're sure you don't want a break?

Yeah, I do want a break.

You know, I didn't think I'd have to say this out loud, but no convicted felons in my evidence locker.

You leave, Caffrey.

Just bringing him some take-out, sir.

Well, then I suggest you take it outside.

Where?

The picnic area.

Sounds nice.

The sun is shining. Fresh air. Barbed wire.

It all kind of reminds me of...

Don't say it. ...The yard.

This is not a prison yard.

You can't get French take-out in a prison.

I got duck confit once.

Wasn't take-out, though.

It was fresh-poached, actually.

I'm not in prison, Neal. I'm reassigned.

And I'm not making any waves.

That's the fastest way out of here.

Which reminds me -- there's something I want to talk to you about.

Before I gave my statement at your commutation, you promised you'd tell me everything.

When I said that, I thought I was gonna be a free man.

Yeah, but you said it.

So start talking.

You already know about my dad.

Yeah, he was a cop.

He was a corrupt cop.

Ellen was his partner.

Yeah. She also arrested him.

What'd she arrest him for?

I don't know everything, all right?

Burke!

Someone spilled two full cases of seized ink cartridges.

I need you to get inside and clean it up.

You said I get an hour for lunch.

Well, you were a half-hour late this morning.

This is how you make it up.

To be continued. Sunshine needs me.

Good luck with that one. Charmer.

Hey, guys.

What is it, Caffrey?

This morning Peter mentioned that he'd planned to reopen one of his old investigations.

I'd like to see it.

We already gave you two assignments.

Oh, yeah. Your credit fraud. It's account takeover.

Guy's changing the victims' mailing addresses over the phone, then requesting replacement cards.

And the other one? Bankruptcy fraud.

Primary suspect's concealing assets through a checking account in his second cousin's name.

Look, it's my fault Peter's been reassigned.

I know that.

The least I can do is try to help solve something that matters to him.

You sure you want in on this?

Yeah, let's see the file.

Okay.

Light.

Okay.

One more.

Wow. That's, uh -- that's one case?

Yep. Still unsolved.

For how long?

20 years.

Guess I got some catching up to do.

The bureau's been after this mystery thief for two decades.

Are you up to speed?

All right, his first heist was a securities vault in Bushwick.

Got $3 million in cash -- one-man job.

Five years later, he targeted a Region Financial Bank in the Bronx.

Hit it for $5.6 million.

Another five years goes by, he robs a brink's truck in transit and makes off with $4 million in bearer bonds.

And we have no suspects.

We know two things, though.

First, he surfaces every five years, almost to the day.

If he sticks to this pattern, it means he's gonna pop up sometime this week.

That explains why Peter was so concerned.

We got a small window before this guy disappears for five more years.

Five years.

He's waiting for the statute of limitations to pass.

He knows if he ever gets caught, he can only be charged with one crime.

No compounded sentences.

What's the second thing we know?

At each scene, there was a specific tobacco residue.

No print, no fibers, nothing except trace amounts of this.

Turkish Harmony -- high-end stuff.

Peter made the connection.

He was assigned a bank robbery 10 years ago, found the tobacco.

He searched records for hits on the brand afterwards.

It's how he found the patterns in the previous heists.

After some research, he began to think it was all an inside job.

Oh. Says here Peter went undercover at the bank for a few weeks after it was robbed.

Yeah. Cover I.D. -- Peter Morris.

He find anything?

Well, he's the expert. You should ask him.

Where do you think you're going?

Home. My shift's over.

Clock says you have a minute to go.

Really? 'Cause according to my watch --

You'd be leaving early.

Which would have to go into my daily report for your review board.

Now you can go.

Have a good night.

Exciting day?

Well, it's a thrilling tale of a man's battle with carpal tunnel syndrome.

I hate to take you away from that, but I need your expertise.

You have a new case?

One of Peter Morris', actually.

Oh, that was a tricky cover.

I posed as the branch manager's brother-in-law.

Made it look like a favor hire.

And I gave myself a little rap sheet.

Oh, smart move.

You let your wayward history slip out during conversation, maybe you find someone like-minded.

Yeah, didn't get any takers or find any suspects.

It's pretty thin.

Runway-model thin.

But we may be able to get her a sandwich.

You have a lead? Yes.

We ran a search on the national database for Turkish Harmony.

You actually got a hit.

Two days ago, a water delivery truck was stolen in Jersey.

When the locals did their sweep for the usual DNA and fiber samples, they also picked up a few flakes of the tobacco from the floor.

A water delivery truck?

I know, it's strange, right? Yeah.

Any thoughts?

Yeah. Check out the truck.

But that's hard to do when it's in Jersey.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm in evidence, and you've got a radius again.

Yeah, right. We can't go to the truck.

So, Diana made a few phone calls for us.

Had the truck delivered to us.

You're in evidence now.

There's no harm in taking a look, is there?

Come on.

According to the report, the truck was hauled in directly after it was found.

Meaning the last person to drive it was the same person who stole it.

All right, we get inside, maybe we can deduce the physical characteristics of the suspect -- height at least.

Yeah, we get that, we can cross-reference it against the list of bank employees from your undercover stint.

Yeah. One problem -- the truck was hot-wired.

We don't have access to keys.

Since when do I need keys?

You don't.

All right, just keep that wedged right there.

Not too hard.

Be careful. This is still evidence.

A little more room.

Yep.

Got it.

What's the story?

I'm 6'2", and this seat is way too close to the steering wheel.

So, I'm guessing that our suspect is well under 6'.

Maybe 5'9", 5'10" at the most.

What do you have?

Well, according to the report, there were three water bottles missing.

Yeah. He delivered them somewhere.

Well, maybe.

I'm more interested in how they were moved.

There we go. Use the hand truck.

Which he would have had to bring back to the truck himself...

And tie up.

Left over right.

Left over right. Our suspect is left-handed.

Yep. Okay.

We're on the lookout for a 5'9" lefty who enjoys the occasional smoke.

It's a start.

I do not know how much longer I can work in evidence.

Just cataloging phones and boxing up evidence and filing endless paperwork.

Do they know how many criminals you've taken off the street?

I think it's the one I left on the street that's the problem.

Give me a second.

Speak of the devil.

Neal, it's late.

Sure. Come on in.

We got him.

What?

Oh, hey, Elizabeth.

Hey. Enough chit-chat.

Who is it?

All right.

DMV records show that seven of your old bank "co-workers" are between 5'10" and 6', but only one is a lefty.

How do you know? DMV doesn't ask.

The signature.

When left-handed people sign their name, their palms often smudge the ink.

David Cook.

After 10 years, I have a suspect.

Yeah.

And now we have less than a week to figure out where he's gonna strike next.

Do you recognize him?

David Cook was a bank teller I met while undercover.

I didn't like him.

Any particular reason?

He was a Mets fan.

Oh. Me being a die-hard Yankee fan, we went at it a few times.

Type-"A" kind of guy?

Yeah.

What does he want with a water delivery truck?

The bureau will figure it out.

No, no, no, no. We have come this close because of you, Peter.

Yeah, and if you need any advice, I'm always around.

Great. I want some advice.

How do we catch Cook?

Competition, like I said.

He never delegated any of his work at the bank, like he had to do it himself.

Oh, a control freak.

He never mentioned family.

Probably avoids emotional connections.

That makes it tough to get to him.

Cook did have routines.

He hit the gym every day, was always on time to work, and he always took his lunch at the same deli.

Creature of habit. Yeah.

So find his latest habits.

Ask Hughes to get 'round-the-clock eyes on him.

We're gonna catch this guy.

Keep me posted.

You know where you can find me.

All right!

Hey.

Good news.

Hughes approved your idea for surveillance on Cook.

We already got eyes on him.

He's got a weekly squash game at the Soho health club.

I didn't peg him for a squash guy.

Well, you haven't seen him in 10 years.

Apparently he traded his love of the Mets for a more upscale sport.

I like the guy even less now.

Nobody trades up from baseball.

Is that a private call, Burke?

I-it'll be done in a second.

Second's up!

The only phone I want to see in your hand is the one you're filing away. You got it?

I got to go.

I'll keep you posted.

Thank you.

What are you doing?

Oh...nothing. That's the problem.

Then what are you waiting for? Huh?

Go out there.

Well, nice as that sounds, I'm on very strict orders now.

Yes, you're off-duty, but you still have a badge.

Well, technically, yes.

What rule would you be breaking?

None of them yet, but this case -- I got to --

Honey, I know how important this is for you.

So go be a part of it.

I want to.

I know. So see it through.

You're an FBI agent, Peter Burke.

Go get your job back.

Okay, we're live.

Cook should be inside any minute now.

Who are you texting?

Peter. I'm keeping him posted.

Thanks for the update.

What are you doing here?

Was out for a walk and saw a suspicious van.

Wanted to know if there was any illegal activity going on inside.

Just a convict and an FBI agent watching TV.

Get in here.

Anything decent on the tube?

We're wired into the health club's closed-circuit cameras.

Only blind spots are the locker rooms.

That's him.

Oh, you catch that?

He's being protective of that bag.

Curious what's inside?

Oh, I'd be lying if I said no.

How about we find out?

Wouldn't it be nice if Cook ran into his old friend Peter Morris?

No. Unh-unh.

What? You were busted for larceny.

We're about to bust him for larceny.

You two have a lot to talk about.

What would I even say to him?

You can ask him if he's stolen any water delivery trucks lately.

Good. Subtle.

Or... "How about a game?"

It's been a while since I played squash.

Well, I hear it's like riding a bike.

From who?

I'm sure that someone... said that once.

Yeah, I'm sure.

I'd need some workout gear.

Shouldn't be a problem.

This shirt's kind of itchy.

It was all the pro shop had.

Next time I spend 90 bucks for a pair of sweats, I'd better get a free TV with them.

Come on, this place is nice.

In fact, I'm thinking of joining.

You get plenty of exercise.

It has its benefits.

Yeah. So does flight from prosecution.

Good cardio.

Bring it! Yeah!

Uh-oh. He's not messing around.

No, I told you -- Cook's competitive.

Good. Use that to keep him busy.

When you catch up, ask him how's he's doing.

Whatever he says, casually imply you're doing a little better.

If he's making money, you're making a little more.

If he drives a Beemer, you drive a Ferrari.

You want me to challenge him.

Yeah, he'll try to one-up you.

He won't be able to help himself.

You'll be on that court in no time.

Then what?

Try not to lose too fast. Good luck.

I'm telling you -- you got to work on your backhand, man.

You're quick, but, uh... ground strokes, baby.

Better luck next time, friend.

Dave? Dave Cook?

Peter Morris. We worked together.

Region Financial. Been a while.

Yeah. Yeah. How you been?

Great. Yourself?

Great. Actually, beyond great.

I didn't know you played.

Yeah, when I can get a game.

I've still got the court.

Terrific.

Been a while since I left the bank.

What have you been doing since?

I was gonna ask you the same.

Started my own little business -- import/export trade.

Profitable.

Funny. I started my own business, too.

Small financial firm.

Financial firm?

Last time I saw you, you were mopping floors!

Hard to get hired when you got a record.

That's some initiative.

You could say I took some time out, educated myself.

I tell you what, since we're both doing so well, how about a little friendly wager?

Okay.

Winner takes a grand from the loser?

A grand?

That a problem?

No, no. But let's make it 2.

2?

Not 3?

You're right. Let's make it an even 5.

You're on.

All right.

Hidden camera?

Water-cooler talk.

You all right?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Come on. Move.

My shoulder's acting up.

I've got an ice pack in the locker room.

Is that your rotator cuff?

Eh, yeah. I pulled it before. It's not a problem.

You should be careful, much more careful!

Where's your locker?

It's just around here. Come on.

You sure you don't want me to get someone to take a look at that shoulder?

What'd I tell you? It's not a problem.

Shame we didn't get to finish.

Yeah. Yeah, it is.

You know, I'm always up for round 2.

That was barely a round 1.

Can't find that pack?

Oh, it's probably in my bag.

You don't want to do that.

I just remembered -- you're supposed to use heat on an injury like that, not ice.

Yeah, I read it somewhere. Heat. Heat.

Well, I don't have a heat pack.

Yeah, well, that's fine.

They've got them in the pro shop.

You can get one on the way out.

Heat.

Hey! You've got green dots in your locker.

Can I borrow one? I'm always out.

Keep it.

Thanks.

As a reminder that we have some unfinished business.

I'm around for a rematch anytime you want.

Yeah, you better be good for it.

Oh, believe me, once I start something, I always like to see it through.

What was so fascinating you had to force me into a game of hot potato?

Cook has a live feed running on his PDA.

Micro camera with a hidden transmitter.

Guess where it was hidden.

Inside the water cooler.

That explains the stolen truck.

He used it to impersonate a delivery man and plant the camera somewhere.

Yeah, that's smart.

The live feed allows him to study his marks in real time.

What did you see?

A diamond shop. I didn't get the name.

But I got a close-enough look to sketch out the floor plan.

I'm gonna go back to the office and draw one up.

Peter and I will start narrowing targets from his place.

You can coordinate with me from the office.

Six diamond stores in Manhattan are supplied by Ram's Water Delivery.

Cook could hit one of these any second now.

Then he disappears again.

Neal, did you e-mail the sketch?

Yeah. Sent.

Making any progress?

We're getting somewhere. Thanks, honey.

Ah, don't tell me that. That doesn't sound good.

Jones, what's up?

Okay. Keep searching.

Cook just ducked surveillance.

Team one lost him in the subway about 15 minutes ago, but they said it looked like he was trying to go dark.

He's pulling the job.

This is happening tonight.

All right, we need to figure this out now.

You guys have that list?

Yeah, I got it.

All right, well, we can cross off Toback's.

Christie and I went ring shopping there, and this isn't what it looked like.

Plus, their security system is top-notch.

You scoped out their security?

Ring shopping's not really my thing.

All right, you can also cross off Davis, Smith Brothers, and Solitaire and Sons.

I'd recognize the interiors.

Because you cased them out?

Ring shopping's not really my thing.

All right, that leaves us with two --

Midtown Jewelry Appraisers and Crowder Diamonds.

That's Crowder Diamonds.

I took a client to Midtown Jewelers last month.

They have two long cases of merchandise.

No vault in sight. Definitely not like that.

Honey, I have to --

You got to go. Good luck.

I'll let the teams know the target.

Hopefully we can intercept.

Yeah, we're on our way.

You ride separate. I'll follow.

I'm just an observer.

Just give me a call if anything turns up, okay?

What happened?

Place was hit 20 minutes ago.

No sign of Cook?

Preliminary forensics shows a clean crime scene, so far.

And it'll stay that way.

All right. Stay here.

Keep me posted. Peter.

I can't be here.

I shouldn't have come in the first place.

Yes!

It's all in the strategy, my friends.

I'm gonna sit this round out, let someone else win some tugriks.

Back so soon?

Well, no man is an island.

And you're clean-shaven.

You have retired from retirement.

I can come and go as I please.

Plus, as the man behind many a curtain, I found myself... lacking a reliable... front.

So you're saying I'm your front man?

Good partnerships are hard to find.

Who are your friends?

Oh, just some fellow travelers on this journey we call life.

Yeah, they like my ice wines.

Well, they are from colder climes.

What's the game?

No idea, but I'm very good at it.

Oh, deal me in.

The treasure?

It's safe. How's the Suit?

I take it he returned from our balmy tropics to much harsher weather?

He's been relegated to the bureau's storage warehouse.

Endless cages filled with contraband?

It's not as nice as it sounds.

He's stuck itemizing cargo crates of stolen cellphones.

It's my fault he's in this spot.

I need to get him out of it.

Solving this latest case will help.

Oh, what's involved? Stolen diamonds.

We had a suspect, but he's gone underground.

Has he liquidated yet?

By the time the FBI finds his fence, those gems will be long gone.

Well, who needs the fuzz when you have me?

It's good to have you back.

Neal. What's going on?

It's about Cook. Figured.

I'm going over all the evidence, trying to find something we might have overlooked.

That won't be necessary.

I've got an idea that will help you catch him.

You mean help the bureau catch him.

No. It has to be you and you alone.

It's the only way my plan works.

This is not my assignment anymore.

I can't disobey orders.

Well, that's the best part. You don't have to.

Look, Peter, we can wait another five years to catch this guy, or we can take him down tomorrow.

It's your call.

What's the plan?

This is Cook's fence -- Rina Oaks.

I was able to track her down using a reliable street contact.

Mm. Do I know any of these "reliable street contacts"?

You'd probably prefer not to.

I'm sure.

Cook is a competitive guy.

What if we give him a little competition that puts him directly in our sights?

I'm listening.

Your cover as Peter Morris is perfect.

He already thinks you're a convicted criminal.

What if you, uh, discovered one of his contacts in the underworld?

Someone like Rina?

If we can convince Cook you found out about his fence and are making a better offer...

We draw him out.

Exactly.

He barges in when I'm making the deal.

We have people in place to bring them both down.

The bureau gets a double win, and you're back in their good graces.

It's a nice idea.

But I have to report to evidence at 9:00 A.M. tomorrow.

Good thing I made your appointment with Rina for 8:00.

All right. We'd need real stones to convince Rina that I am a legitimate competition.

I didn't steal them. Courtesy of June.

The canary is worth half a million.

The royal blue is worth another half million.

And the pink's worth $700,000.

Wow. I had no idea June --

Yeah, she does okay.

So these two make up an additional 1.2.

But Cook has now over $4 million.

Well, these should make you more appealing than Cook.

They won't cut glass.

Knock-offs?

The second Rina sees them, she's gonna know they're fake.

She won't get to them.

All you have to do is buy enough time to make sure Cook crosses town and arrives at the shop.

Meanwhile, you'll make sure Rina only studies the diamonds that are true.

How?

Pick one of those up. Any one.

Now turn it over.

How did you do that?

From the minute you walked in here, I've been subtly steering your mind to focus on that royal blue diamond.

No, come on. Tell me how you did this.

No, no. One thing at a time.

Are you in?

I'm in.

What I'm proposing is a three-part plan.

So let's start with part one.

The first thing we have to do is draw Cook out.

And that starts the minute you walk through Rina's door.

Peter Morris.

Yes, I got your message.

Rina won't trust you at first.

She's gonna ask you for a reference, so you tell her you want to call a mutual friend.

David Cook. He can vouch for me.

Rina. We don't meet until tomorrow.

Who?

Peter Morris. Says he knows you?

What the hell is he doing there?

Making me an offer.

No, no, no. No, no. Hey, hey.

No, you know what? You stay away from him.

You keep him away from my money!

You mean my money. I thought we had a deal?

I hear what you're saying.

No, I don't think that you do.

Morris is a liar and a known thief.

You don't trust him!

Glass houses, Mr. Cook.

You understand I only have so much cash on-hand.

Code for, "make me a better offer."

Cook won't be happy to hear my name.

Well, that's the whole point.

He'll think you're competing. It'll push his buttons.

And Rina is smart enough to know a good competition when she sees it.

Hang on. I'm on my way to you.

Now we'll move on to phase two -- keeping Rina around until Cook arrives.

We'll buy our time making Rina appraise the gems -- the right gems.

This is where you tell me how you got me to pick the blue stone.

Better. This is where I teach you how to do it yourself.

I began pushing you toward the blue diamond by wearing a blue tie, which you'll also be wearing.

Then I started making subtle gestures -- adjusting my tie, smoothing it out, drawing your attention to the color.

I can do that.

Next I fiddle with my handkerchief, also blue.

Impressive. And how did you come by these?

That's not up for discussion. Shall we get started?

Clever tactic.

But once she's done looking at the blue diamond --

You'll guide her toward the canary using a simulated trigger.

When I was describing our gems, did you notice how I pointed out the royal blue?

You gave it a thumbs up.

Right, I was indicating that this is a good item -- something you want.

Satisfied?

With this one.

That leaves you with a five- or six-carat clear, the canary, or the pink.

Now, getting her to choose the third diamond will be the trickiest.

While she's appraising the canary, you'll start using muted word-play.

When you and I were talking, I said a lot of words that rhyme with blue.

1.2.

Blue. True.

So, while you're steering her toward the last real diamond, you'll start saying anything that rhymes with...

Pink.

What do you think?

So far, so good.

Glad we're in sync.

When this deal's done...

...we should go out, celebrate... get a drink.

I have a busy day ahead.

Next time.

At this point, enough time has passed for Cook to make his grand entrance.

What the hell do you think you're doing?!

Finishing our game.

I don't know how you did it -- how you found out what I was up to, but I'm gonna burn you for it, Morris.

Oh, seems a little late now.

All the players are accounted for, which brings us to phase three...

The arrest. The arrest.

Cook's inside the store.

All right, can we move in?

Once we have a visual on the diamonds.

I knew that financial-firm crap was a fairy tale.

Maybe so, but like I said, once I start something, I like to see it through.

This is the endgame.

How much is he offering?

Looks to be about 28 karats for $4 million.

I'll counter-offer.

I'll give you 31 karats...

But for $3.8 million.

I got eyes on the diamonds! That's our go signal.

Welcome back to White Collar, agent Burke.

Hey, don't you have someplace else to be?

You know what?

This victory doesn't belong to me after all.

I told you those were the real deal. FBI!

Don't move!

David Cook, you're under arrest for the possession of stolen property.

Thank you. Secure the evidence.

Where's Peter?

Good question.

You're two minutes late.

I had to take care of something.

You were supposed to be taking care of my cellphones.

I know.

You gave me a deadline for this morning.

That's why I'm impressed that you finished them last night.

It's good work.

Thanks.

So maybe I don't have to mention you being late in my report to your review board.

This time.

Oh, that's good. Mmm.

So, Cook told me you slipped out just before we arrived.

Yeah.

You want to tell me why you didn't stick around?

I had a job to do.

This was your win, Peter.

Yeah, this case has been nagging at me for 10 years.

I got something better than a win.

What's that?

Closure.

Well, you should have gotten your job back, too.

Can't have it both ways.

Yeah, at least you still got your yard for now.

Yeah, we call it a picnic area.

My mistake.

You know, you never did finish that story.

What story?

The one about your dad, about Ellen.

Who was she to you?

When my dad went away, my mom just checked out.

I mean, she was around but she wasn't...around.

So, Ellen looked after me.

Well, how could she look after you if she was in Witn--

You grew up in Witness Protection.

I was 3 when the marshals took us away.

What did your dad do?

He admitted that he was a m*rder*r.

Do you know who he --

No. No one ever told me.

Where'd you go?

The marshals took us to St. Louis.

It was my mom and Ellen and I, and they changed my name to Danny Brooks.

My mom told me my dad d*ed a hero.

I grew up envying this man that I never even knew.

I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

In a way, I guess I did.

No, you didn't. You're not a k*ller.

No. No, but I'm a criminal.

When I was 18, Ellen told me the truth.

She told me my real name was Neal.

Your mother's maiden name was Caffrey.

Well, I couldn't take his name.

Not after I knew.

So that's when Neal Caffrey was born.

After she told me everything, I ran and I never looked back.

But now I want to know. I want to know who he was.

I want to know...

I want to know if he did it.

Well, Ellen's here now.

Go find out.

Neal, if I tell you this, it may open doors that I honestly believe are best kept closed.

You arrested him. What happened?

One night I got a call from a fellow officer.

He said James had asked for an "off the books" meeting.

He wanted backup. Then what?

By the time I got there, the officer was dead.

We found a g*n with his prints on it.

He k*lled a cop?

He said he was innocent. Did you believe him?

James was many things, but I thought there were lines he wouldn't cross.

I investigated.

I was onto something big.

But then he confessed.

Did he do it?

It was a long time ago.

Ellen, I need to understand who he was.

You said there were lines my father would never cross, but he did.

I need to know who I am.