06x16 - East Meets West

[bunniefuu]

[sea gulls crying]

[music]

[conversing in Latvian]

[tires screech, horn blares]

[g*nshots]

[people screaming]

[g*nf*re]

[door opens, woman screams]

Jane: Maura.

That's your second cup of coffee.

Maura: Third.

I was up late last night.

Working or dating?

Working ... on a poem for my writing class.

Mm. That sounds like fun.

Well, it isn't.

I'm really struggling with this assignment.

Well, just keep it simple ... you know, "there once was a man from nantucket."

Why are you taking a poetry class?

Just trying to get my mind off the kidnapping and [inhales sharply] focus on something positive.

[sneezes] And it's making you sick. But don't worry. I have the perfect home remedy!

Oh, no, Ma, come on. Not the orange garlic nonsense.

It's not nonsense if it works.

The last time she did this to Frankie, his face blew up like the elephant man.

Okay, that's true, but that's because I didn't know you were supposed to remove the garlic from the orange peel.

Yes, who would've thought sticking garlic in your ear would cause a stinky, nasty reaction?

All right, put this in your ear, and I promise you your sinuses will be clear by lunchtime.

Yeah, and I promise your hearing's gonna suck all morning.

[sneezes]

Ooh. God bless you.

[cellphone ringing, vibrating]

Ugh. Thank you.

Well, as long as it makes me feel better.

[cellphone beeps]

Rizzoli.

[cellphone beeps]

Dr. Isles. Hello?

Hello?

Maura.

Your ear.

[title music]

<b>6x16 - "East Meets West"</b>

[music]

You don't have to use my mother's crazy home remedies just to be nice.

What is a lazy-bone melody?

Never mind.

Who's been eating an Italian fruit smoothie?

It's my mother's orange-garlic "sinus remedy."

She has a cure for everything.

Mm-hmm. What do we have?

Gunfight. One dead.

Witnesses?

Sure. Nobody's talking.

You know the drill. It's an ethnic neighborhood.

Nobody trusts the cops.

What is it, a drive-by? [chuckles]

More like gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

We got 5 .45 casings.

They match the w*apon found in the victim's hand.

Yeah, a .22 here, so, okay, we got one on the sidewalk, one on the street.

This one wasn't much luckier.

Oh, so our k*ller was hit, too.

I put out a BOLO to all the hospital emergency rooms to report anybody coming in with a g*nsh*t wound.

Okay. Looks like he went this way.

You're right.

Uh, the cashier at the corner store didn't see anything, but I checked the security camera, and it captures a young white guy with a g*n running over that way.

And the time matches.

We'll get that video to Nina.

Maybe she can pull a clear sh*t of the guy's face.

Yeah.

Let's get a photo of the victim over to the g*ng unit, see if he's got any connections to organized crime.

Yep.

That's a big boy.

What's that?

What can you tell us?

Oh, our victim seems to have been brought down by a small-caliber b*llet.

Had to be a perfect sh*t to drop such a big guy.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

[door opens, closes]

[yelling] Do you have an official cause of death?!

Why are you yelling?!

Because you put fruit in your ears!

The orange peel is gone, and my sinuses are cleared.

Congratulation... Really? Seriously?

That craziness worked.

Like a wonder drug.

All right.

So, our victim was k*lled by a single .22-caliber g*nsh*t wound to the heart.

Shotspotter said that his .45 fired the first 2 sh*ts.

So the victim was the aggressor.

It appears that the other guy was reacting in self-defense, but, you know, who knows what happened before they started sh**ting at each other in the middle of the street?

Are you any closer to I.D.'ing him?

No. We ran his prints through AFIS and didn't get a hit.

And what about the victim's g*n?

Stolen from a g*n store in Southie six months ago.

Did you find anything that could tell us where he came from?

Well, I've gone through his clothes, but there is nothing distinctive or unusual.

What about his boots?

His boots ... we found dirt, oil, gum, bird droppings, and tomato sauce with sugar ... possibly pizza ... on the soles.

Well, that's fantastic.

He could be from any neighborhood in Boston.

[chuckles] I did remove a small piece of metal with a plastic coating from the boot.

We'll run some tests and see if we can determine its origin.

All right. Well, anything you can find will help 'cause, so far, all we have are two John Does sh**ting at each other.

Hey.

Hey.

Nina pulled a good image of the sh**t's face from the security video. - Yeah?

Yeah. - Uniforms showing it to the neighborhood?

And they just found someone who thinks the sh**t lives in a nearby building with his mother.

With his mother?

I know, right?

Just the thought gives you the willies.

[music]

[knock on door]

What?!

We're from BPD. We'd like to ask you a few questions.

I'm working here.

[conversing in Latvian]

Listen, we're not interested in your business.

Yeah, 'cause my business is my business ... none of your business.

Okay, uh, do you recognize him?

No.

[conversing in Latvian]

Yeah, we don't know him. Um, look, I'm doing massage here.

He needs to relax so I can make money, you understand?

Uh, people say that he's your son.

I don't have son, okay? I've answered your questions.

Unless you want to pay for his massage, no more questions.

Maybe we should discuss this down at the station, where there are fewer distractions.

And maybe you should talk to my ass! [door slams]

I don't like having a door slammed in my face.

She is hiding something.

She was working.

On a naked man.

I tell you, if we could get a warrant, I'd be back there right now.

I don't know.

Under different circumstances, I might like her.

Maybe we should look at your judgment.

[Eastern European accent] Maybe you should talk to my ass.

[laughs]

Okay, what do we got on our masseuse?

Her full name is Katrin Ulmanis. She's 46 years old.

She came to the U.S. from Latvia when she was 21, got her citizenship, and then hit a rough patch.

What's her family background?

There's no record of her ever being married or having any children.

[sighs] So the sh**t is not her son.

No, she wasn't lying about that.

Uh, but she had several arrests for prostitution and petty theft, and in the late '90s, she did a short prison stint.

She been in any trouble lately?

Nope. Her record's been clean for the last 15 years.

Did Vice ever investigate her massage business?

She's a licensed massage therapist with a five-star rating on Yelp.

"Katrin has just what you want ... firm hands and soft towels."

Well, what more can you ask for?

Okay, what about our victim's photo? Did the g*ng unit respond to it?

Uh, they've never seen the guy.

I just sent over the image of our sh**t. [cellphone vibrates]

Maura's got something.

I noticed an unusual node on the victim's thyroid.

We tested it and found high levels of radioactive iodine present.

Okay.

An analysis revealed radioisotope I-29, which is a by-product of nuclear fission and has no medical purpose like I-123, I-124, I-131 ...

Maura.

Okay. It is a kind of radioisotope that was common after Chernobyl.

[door opens]

I just checked with Eurodep, which has nothing to do with Johnny Depp.

European Radiological Data Exchange Platform.

They monitor nuclear accidents.

There was a radiation spike in Baldone, Latvia, in 2014.

Now, although nothing was officially reported, scientists do believe that it was a nuclear-reactor accident.

So it's possible that he was from Baldone, Latvia?

Yes.

Yes.

Great! Okay.

I will get his fingerprints to Korsak, who will send them to Interpol, and then we will check...

[sighs] You okay?

Mm. Yes, I'm just a... a little tired.

Yeah, you do look exhausted.

Oh.

Maybe you should go home and rest.

I've got too much to do.

Kent. Didn't we talk about personal space and professional behavior? [sighs]

Yes, and I'm just taking your temperature.

And you have a fever. Ibuprofen?

Allergic. I really don't have time to be sick, anyway.

You know, I have so much work to do and a writing assignment on top of it.

Yeah, you do have a fever, but it doesn't have to hold you back for very long.

You know what the Bedouins say.

It's a dry heat?

N-No. "Have a fever, light a fire."

What does that mean?

Ah.

Now, how would you like to try something that you've never tried before?

Now, it's strictly professional... but very hot.

Frankie: So, how are things with the g*ng unit?

Grant: I think we got something you're gonna like.

Oh, did you recognize our sh**t?

Yeah, kid was hanging around with the Quint Street Boys.

Can you I.D. him?

Well, right now we just have a nickname for him here.

He goes by "Little Nicky" on the street.

Yeah.

Looks like he got involved with the g*ng earlier in the year. Then, a couple of months ago, he had a falling-out with them, and he disappeared.

We figured he either fled or he was dead.

Well, what was the falling-out about?

I don't know. Could've made a grab for power, insulted somebody's girlfriend, or took the last stick of gum. Yeah, usual crap.

All right, I'm gonna need photos and background files on all the g*ng leaders.

Yeah, no problem.

Great.

Agris Vilks, boss of the Quint Street Boys.

Nice scar.

Oh, they're ruthless.

Into the usual things ... dr*gs, prostitution, gambling.

But they've done a good job laundering their money through legit businesses like junkyards, construction, auto-repair shops.

Anything blue-collar.

Yeah. They like to fit in and fly under the radar.

Interpol got a hit on the victim's fingerprints in Latvia.

His name is Egon Kronis.

They believe he's a hit man for the Latvian mob.

So Nicky has a fallout with the g*ng, and they bring in a pro from Latvia to take him out?

They wanted the kid dead real bad.

And they wanted it done right.

Nina: When Frankie told me about Nicky,

I dug a little deeper into Katrin's background in Latvia.

She had a sister there who passed away about a year ago, and she had a son named Nicholas Bartulis.

That's little Nicky.

Yep, and he entered the country on a tourist visa about a year ago.

So Katrin didn't have her son living with her.

It was her nephew.

And if Nicky's hurt and all of his friends are after him, there's only one place that he would turn for help.

Good old Aunt Katrin.

No, we have uniforms all over that neighborhood.

No one's seen Nicky.

Okay, pull 'em off.

Why?

Because we want Nicky to think it's finally safe to go back to Katrin's place.

Yeah, and I want to be there for that happy reunion.

I'm gonna take a little walk, make sure none of our Quint Street pals are waiting around for Nicky.

Last thing we need is another sh**t in the streets.

Okay.

[cellphone beeps]

Hey.

Is anyone letting you use their apartment to watch the alley?

I've had three nos, two doors slammed in my face, and a place with so many cats it looked like an animal shelter on steroids.

Well, at least there's no spiders.

Really? You had to mention spiders?

I'm not done yet.

[cellphone beeps]

[sighs]

[music]

Uh, uh, Detective Rizzoli, Boston P.D.

I didn't do anything wrong.

I didn't say you did.

In fact, I bet you never do anything wrong.

Real smooth. That work for you with other women?

No... I don't know why I said that.

I'm not that guy.

So who are you?

Just a cop that really needs some help?

Hmm.

Streets are clear. Only one sitting on this building is us.

Well, did you search all of Boston? You've been gone for an hour.

I had to find a restroom. Stakeouts are hard on old guys.

Ohh, here we go.

No, I'm not retiring.

No, but you're thinking about it.

Well, you got to plan for the future.

I plan!

My plan is to stop your plan of retiring. [laughs]

So, Frankie, what's going on? What are you looking for?

Well, all I can really tell you is that I have to watch that alleyway.

Oh.

Listen, if there's anything you need to do, just... pretend like I'm not here.

Why would I want to do that?

Well, I just don't want to get in your way.

You're not.

So, you can't talk about your case.

Can you talk about yourself?

[sighs]

[music]

[sighs]

Okay, weirdest traffic stop ever.

Oh. That's easy.

I was patrolling the university district right after the bars closed.

Mm.

Me and my partner see this car. It's driving real slow and weaving in and out of its lane and...

[car door closes]

I need a plate check ... 13 November Fred 68.

Thanks. Okay. Carful of drunk fraternity kids ... that doesn't sound that bad.

Yeah, well, that's what I thought.

So we pull the car over, and sure enough, it's filled with hammered frat boys.

But it's not a drunk-driving stop, because the driver isn't drunk ... he's blind.

Well, what did you do?!

Well, I yanked the one frat boy out who could still put together a sentence, and he said, "well, we knew we were too drunk to drive, officer, but we didn't really know how we were gonna get back to the animal house."

Then they spot this old blind guy at a bus stop.

They pay him to drive them back [chuckles] while they direct him which way to go.

No.

They thought, "well, you know, we'll get back safe, and we'll have a great story to tell."

What they didn't count on was that story would end in a jail cell.

How have I not heard this one?

Oh, I've still got a few gems in the old trunk.

I'm gonna miss this when it's over.

Me too, kid. Me too.

[music]

Hi. How you doing?

In a word ... feverish.

Is this another one of my mother's crazy cures?

No, it's Kent's Bedouin remedy.

Oh, even better.

We've identified the scrap of metal that I found in the victim's boot, and it's definitely from a car part.

Uh, we're working to I.D. a model.

Okay, good.

If we can find Nicky and get him to help us, then we're gonna need the physical evidence to tie the hit man to the mob boss.

All right. We'll stay on it.

Okay, thanks.

And... good luck with the Bedouins. [cellphone beeps]

Ugh. Okay.

So, where are we with the piece of metal that I pulled from the victim's boot?

It's in the gas-chromatography machine.

We should have the results back in about half an hour.

Can you please get my notebook for me?

Uh-huh.

And what kind of creative writing are we doing?

Ohh, this week's assignment is writing a poem titled "The opposite of me."

Sounds interesting.

It might be if I understood what the professor wanted.

But he's being purposefully vague.

Well, maybe he's being vague 'cause he wants you to think about the title creatively.

You see, that's the beautiful thing about poetry ... it's not contained by any traditional form or structure.

But I love structure.

Yeah, then this is the perfect assignment for you.

It's gonna make you think outside the box.

Maybe it would be easier if I felt better.

Well, don't you worry. I'll take care of everything in the lab.

All you have to do is lie back under the covers, open your pores, relax your mind, and let your imagination flow.

Mm.

Enjoy.

Okay.

[music]

All right, what are you doing there?

Just sketching you.

Really? Can I see it?

No.

It's not done yet.

Ah. [chuckles]

Anyone ever tell you that you look like montgomery Clift?

No. Who's Montgomery Clift?

A movie star from the '50s.

I don't really watch old movies.

[sighs] I love old movies.

And I love Montgomery Clift. He was so handsome.

[clears throat]

What do you like to do for fun?

I love the Red Sox.

I don't know much about baseball.

You can't live in this town and not love The Sox.

So tell me about them.

Yeah?

Mm-hmm.

Okay, the story begins december 26, 1919.

That's when the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees.

[music]

Maura said that she would move to Maine and write mystery novels.

You are avoiding the question.

I'm asking where you see yourself.

I don't know.

Probably right here doing the same thing, just with a different partner.

What about a family?

I couldn't give up being a cop, and I never figured out how to have both, so...

Job takes a toll.

But I wouldn't change a thing.

I love being a cop.

Find a job you love, you never work a day in your life.

And they pay us!

Can you believe it?

[both laugh]

[music]

[sighs]

[sighs]

[music]

[music]

Jane: What'd you get on that piece of metal?

Maura: I think it's a scrap from the interior of an automobile.

The plastic is consistent with a wide variety of domestic vehicles.

Well, that's not enough.

There was also a speck of road tar.

There had to have been more trace evidence.

Well, why are you pushing me?

Because you want me to.

Look, I-I-I ran it under an electron microscope.

I-I bathed it in acid and rinsed it in saline.

What about the mass spectrometer?

Nothing!

It's a jagged piece of metal that was violently ripped from a vehicle.

So, according to Newton's third law of motion, there had to be something transferred to the scrap that will reveal where it came from.

You sound like me.

I am you.

Think, Maura. With that kind of impact, How can there be nothing left behind on our little piece of metal?

It was stuck to the bottom of a boot and dragged all over the city.

Whatever material was there was rubbed clean simply by walking on it.

You know what I admire most about you?

You never give up. [gasps]

Oh, my gosh. What are those?

My boots.

[footsteps approach]

Do we need to follow up with...

Why are you staring at me like that?

Your boots.

You're one to talk.

[music]

[screams] Nooo!

[breathing heavily]

The boots.

[music]

[cellphone beeps]

Hey. How you feeling this morning?

Except for a crazy dream last night, I am back to my old self.

Well, that's good news.

So, how you holding up out there?

Uh, okay, I guess.

I don't know. Vince and I were talking about him retiring one day, and it just got me thinking.

I don't know.

You think your life's never gonna change, and then one day it just does.

Well, it's the nature of things.

[sighs] Yeah.

And then I realized that, one day, you're gonna tell me that you're gonna move to some podunk town in Maine and write novels.

Well, I hope I get to tell you that one day.

Well, I'll miss you.

No, you won't.

You won't have a chance because I'm either taking you with me or you're going to visit all the time.

Okay, but can you make sure you get a place with a basketball court?

[chuckling] Jane.

[door opens]

I got to go, Maura.

[cellphone beeps]

Hey. Psst! Wake up.

Look at this.

Where's she going so early?

Well, hopefully, if we're lucky, she's gonna lead us to Nicky.

[engine turns over]

[music]

[brakes squeal]

Okay. I want to keep eyes on her.

[door closes]

Korsak. She's not in here.

[sighs]

sh*t!

[footsteps approach]

Ah. You look chipper.

Yes!

I had a wild dream last night that was so vivid, but I woke up feeling refreshed.

Ah, fever dreams and hallucinations are common side effects.

Well, this side effect may have helped the case.

I do hope that you're not still hallucinating, as you seem to be performing an autopsy on... well... a boot.

Can you hand me a swab?

I already swabbed the sole, but didn't find anything unusual.

Yes, but did you look inside the sole?

[sighs] No.

I'm looking for trace particle transfer from the piece of metal to the sole, something that was left behind in the plastic.

Yeah. A brown oily substance.

That's why you're the boss.

Can you run an analysis?

Absolutely.

Thank you.

I hope your fever dream was inspiration for your writing as much as it was for your work.

Well, let's just say that I've turned to the classics for inspiration.

Ah. The classics. Can't go wrong with the classics.

[door opens]

We've got several patrol cars in the area. Nobody's seen her.

The shop owner said that she walked in and asked where the bathroom was.

[cellphone rings, beeps]

Korsak. [sighs]

You got an address?

Nice work.

[cellphone beeps]

Nina flagged Katrin's accounts.

She just used an ATM card at a bank three blocks away.

I'll check the ATM.

Yeah, I got the other side.

[music]

[indistinct conversations]

[door rattling]

How can we have missed her? She was just here.

[cellphone vibrates]

[cellphone beeps]

Yeah.

What? When?

All right, just... just sit tight.

[cellphone beeps]

It was Frankie.

He said he just saw Katrin go into her apartment.

How'd she get home so fast?

She must have dumped the cash card to Nicky when we lost her.

But why here?

There's a bank a block from her apartment.

Maybe he couldn't get treatment without any cash.

You think he'd take a hostage?

[door opens]

[door closes]

[speaking Latvian]

[music]

You're in a tough spot, Nicky.

We can prove that you sh*t and k*lled Egon Kronis.

No, but you don't understand.

We understand that you're involved with the Quint Street Boys.

We have your blood at the scene, and we have security video of you running away with a g*n.

That's enough to put you away for life.

Unless... you'd like to talk about the g*ng.

We know they wanted you dead.

We know they sent a hit man to do it.

What we don't know is why.

Well, how can I trust you?

[sighs]

How can you not?

If you give us real info on the g*ng's criminal activity, we can see to it that you only do six months for unlawful possession of a g*n.

And we can put you into witness protection when you get out.

What about my aunt?

Her too.

[sighs]

I-I know who orders the murders.

And I know how they get rid of the bodies.

If you're willing to testify, we can make a deal.

[knock on door]

I'm Nicky's lawyer.

I don't have one.

You do now. I was hired by your Aunt Katrin.

[whispers indistinctly]

I've got nothing else to say to you.

Testimony like his can take down the Quint Street Boys.

How do we get him to trust us once he's lawyered up?

Go to the one person he trusts.

I just got the preliminary results back from the particles lifted from the sole of the boot.

Anything interesting?

Well, there's a petroleum-based substance ... possibly hydraulic or brake fluid.

Hmm. Well, I need to know specifically what kind of lubricant it is and where it's used.

I've already started running another analysis.

"The opposite of me as far as I can tell does stir the mind to search one's world with passion and strength from the heart's purest well."

So? What do you think?

Well, mathematically, it's perfect.

I know!

A sonnet, three quatrains, alternating rhyme, and a couplet in iambic pentameter.

Yes. Yes, exactly!

And it's dreadful.

[sighs] I know.

You're overthinking the whole thing, Maura.

"This little song, how can it be that it can mean so much to me?

What is it then revealing?

It holds a breath of melody, a touch of gentle harmony, and the soul of tender feeling."

That's lovely.

And it's so simple.

Exactly.

You see, great poets, they write simply and from the heart.

So you must take your view in the world [sighs] and let your heart write it, Maura.

Hey, Vince. Can I ask you something... personal?

I guess so.

You and Kiki seem very different.

We are.

Did you ever have second thoughts about her because of that?

Not once.

Well, I just met a girl, and she's very different from me.

Different how?

She's an artist... and a grad student. Loves old movies.

And she doesn't know anything about The Sox.

Anybody can learn about baseball. Do you like her?

Yeah, I do.

Then what's wrong with different?

Different is interesting, exciting. Yeah?

Yeah. [chuckles]

You can't walk into my place.

I just did.

I have rights.

Call the cops.

[sighs]

What do you want?

Your help.

I'm pretty sure that Nicky acted in self-defense.

But if he does not cooperate with us, he's going to jail.

And if the g*ng wants him dead on the street, they will find someone who will k*ll him in prison.

This is all my fault.

Why do you say that?

'Cause I brought him here for better life.

Look what happened. I should've known better.

You cannot make it here without connections, without education.

You did.

You made a life for yourself playing by the rules.

I know all about you, Katrin.

I know about your past. I know about your sister.

I know that you brought Nicky here to help him, and you can still do that.

You're just gonna have to trust us.

Tell me about Nicky and the g*ng.

[sighs] He came here. He couldn't find a job.

So he sees all these men with cars, with money ... you know ... in the g*ng, and he want these things.

So he gets involved with people who promise to get him money.

So, why do they want to k*ll him?

He does some stealing for the g*ng.

And he's good, you know? He's loyal.

So they want him in the g*ng.

But he has to prove himself. So they gave him a g*n.

And they told him to k*ll a man and where to dump the body.

And he couldn't do it.

He's not a k*ller. He's not bad like that.

He's made a big mistake.

And there is only one way out of this.

He has to cooperate with us.

You gonna help him?

Yes. I give you my word.

[sighs]

Okay. I'm gonna talk to him.

Okay. And then the next thing you got to do, you got to call off your lawyer.

What lawyer?

[music]

When?

All right.

Lawyer convinced the judge that since there were no witnesses and we didn't find a m*rder w*apon, Nicky may have just gotten caught in the crossfire.

Bail?

100 grand.

We got to get down there before the g*ng does.

He's already made bail.

So they're gonna k*ll him. Like you said.

No. No, no, no.

We're not gonna let that happen, okay? Okay?

If Nicky's still alive, it's only because the g*ng wants to know what he told us before his lawyer got here.

Only question is, how long can he hold out?

And where they have him.

Please tell me you've got something.

I came up with all the businesses and known addresses of the Latvian crime boss.

[cellphone vibrates]

And we have uniforms at all 13 locations...

[cellphone beeps]

...but no sign of Nicky.

Hey, Maura. You're on speaker.

The oily substance we found in the boot sole is a type of high-viscosity hydraulic fluid with a phosphorous additive.

The additive is significant because it's only used as a lubricant in high-pressure industrial machinery.

Like what? Give me an example.

Wind turbines, stone cutters, aircraft hydraulics.

Wait a second. A scrap of metal from a car, fluid from a high-pressure hydraulic ... what is that, a car crusher?

They're powered by a hydraulic pump and piston under high pressure.

We found one wrecking yard owned by the crime boss.

Uh, we checked. There was no one there.

Okay. Thanks, guys.

[cellphone beeps]

[sighs] Okay.

Pull up all the salvage yards in the North end.

Let me see a list of the Quint Street Boys g*ng members. [beep]

Look at the owner for M&G Auto Salvage.

Mauris Fogel.

Yep.

Look at the third name on the Quint Street Boys list.

Guntis Fogel.

We got an "M" and a "G."

And we have an address.

[music]

[grunts]

Hey! Hey! Please, let me out! Please! I promise, you don't have to do this! Please! No! Don't!

[machinery whirs]

[grunts] Come on!

[g*nf*re]

Hey! Hey, help!

[g*nf*re]

Hey, help! Please! Help me!

[g*nf*re continues]

Hey! Help! Help me, please!

Please!

Okay, okay.

The controls are over there!

Hang on!

Help! No! I'm stuck!

[grunting]

Hurry! Help!

Nicky! Nicky?

[both sigh]

Are you okay?

Yeah, I think I'm okay.

[police radio chatter]

Nicky!

Tough lady's got a soft side.

I know somebody just like her.

[music]

[sighs]

Hi.

[chuckling] Hey.

Uh, did you forget something?

Uh... yeah. Yeah, I forgot to ask if you want to go to a baseball game with me.

Yes!

Great!

Well, the ... the Sox are playing the Yankees tonight, so...

I know all about their rivalry...

Going back to the Babe, the sultan of swing.

The king of swat...

You were listening.

To every word.

Oh! Wait.

I [scoffs] I can't go tonight.

I promised a friend I'd be at her art-gallery opening.

All right.

Uh, would you want to come with me?

[music]

Uh... sure. Yeah, I'd like that.

That'd be different.

How do you feel about abstract expressionism?

[clears throat]

Well, my ... my feelings are... abstract and hard to express. [chuckles]

[music]

Hello!

Hello. What is that?

This is my very own spa water.

Cayenne, lemon, ginger, mint, and chia seeds.

Chia seeds as in chia pet?

Yes, actually. [chuckles]

Wait, so if she drinks that, is she gonna grow one of those huge super-green afros?

No, Jane. There'll be no growing of green afros.

She'll be sufficiently hydrated with vitamins, and the chia seeds will provide Omega-3 and 6, potassium, and antioxidants.

Hmm.

Not even a little afro?

[sneezes]

[gasps] Oh, no. I hope you didn't catch that from me.

Oh, it's just my sinuses and a little scratchy sore throat.

Nope.

First signs of a cold, I like a good oxtail soup.

I just use a little pepper oil on my nostrils.

Yeah, well, that's all very good for your sinuses, but for a sore throat, the best thing is actually snail mucus.

[gags] No, seriously.

Snail goo is a most wonderful natural expectorant.

Thank you very much, but I'll just use an onion-juice gargle.

Okay! I ... Really?!

I mean, with the snail goo and the onion gargle?

Can we just order a pizza, please?

Yes! A pizza sounds yummy.

Ugh.

I thought you had a writing class.

Oh, I had to miss it. I got hung up at work.

Or did you skip it 'cause little miss head of the class didn't finish her homework? Hmm?

Well, you don't get to be miss head of the class without finishing all of your assignments.

So you finally settled on a theme, did you?

I interpreted "The opposite of me" as qualities in others that I admire.

Mm. Sounds interesting.

[glasses clatter]

I look forward to reading it someday.

I've got it right here.

I'm proud of it, actually.

[clears throat]

Out loud, please?

Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Uh, sure. Um... [clears throat] "She travels through the path of life with purpose as clear and pure as spring water. He strength is my refuge from every impending storm."

Mm-mm.

It's about Angela.

Mmm...

What?!

It's so nice, Maura. Thank you.

[knocks on table] More please!

Um, yeah... [clears throat] "His cunning and instincts are sharper than the fox. [chuckles] His wisdom, kind and true."

That's about me.

Korsak.

Yeah. Of course. [clears throat]

Okay. Come on. Come on! Find another friend.

Uh... ah. "She's fierce and frost to defend me, in my moment of trouble or need. Her wit and love to sustain me, and never coming my expense. And when we part, there's no sadness. Because our bond is always there she's not just my friend, she's a gift, both precious and rare."

Maura...

Sorry, it's about Nina.

Is not!

[laughs] I'm just kidding!

Always funny games till someone ends up in tears.

[sneezes] Or looking like the older men. Bye.

[gasps] Or an apple!

Oh, dear!

Yeah! That's wit!

[gasping] Oh!

Angela!

Ma!