05x14 - Conspiracy Theories

Episode transcripts for the TV show "NCIS: New Orleans". Aired: September 2014 to present.*
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A spin-off of "NCIS" that is set in the Crescent City.
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05x14 - Conspiracy Theories

Post by bunniefuu »

This is Oliver Crane
coming to you live

from the Crescent City,
where, as promised,

I'm meeting an anonymous source
who's gonna blow the lid off

this sordid case of m*rder,
deception and conspiracy.

Tonight I'm gonna shine a light
into the darkness.

I'm going to expose
the criminals

behind this
heinous k*lling spree,

and you're gonna be there
while I do it.

I'm gonna meet the one witness
who can confirm everything

that local
law enforcement officials

have repeatedly denied.

Tonight, with her help,
everything's gonna change.

WOMAN:
Mr. Crane.

(g*nsh*t)

Oh! Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, they sh*t her!

They're-they're trying
to silence us.

(g*nsh*t)
Oh, my God! If you get this...

if you get this, send help!

Send help right now.
No! Oh!

(g*nsh*t)
Aah!

♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪

♪ Bang, bang, bang, bang ♪

♪ Boom, boom, boom, boom ♪

♪ How, how, how, how ♪

♪ Hey, hey ♪

♪ You gotta come on. ♪

- Mom?
- Mm-hmm?

Don't tell Dad, but
you make the lunches

- way better than him.
- Aw.

It's all in the presentation.
(laughs softly)

And your secret's safe with me.

I like this house better, too.

Mm-hmm.
It's cozy, you know?

Mm-hmm.
Just needs more stuff.

We can go shopping
this weekend.

Okay, go brush.
Wheels up in five.

Mom?

Mm-hmm?
I think Dad

would like
this house better, too.

(sighs)

(knocking)

Move.

We got to go.

Liam.

(quietly):
Come in.

Uh, relax, Hannah.

It's just a social call.

I'm in New Orleans.

Just wanted to
stop by and say hi.

How'd you find me?
Uh,

I'm a spy, you know?

It's kind of my thing.

Not calling
kind of your thing, too?

Um, you're right.

I'm sorry. Old habits.

I was just eager to

a friendly face.

But clearly, you're
not happy to see me.

No, I'm...
(laughs)

I'm happy. I'm just,
I'm surprised, and...

Liam!

Princess!

Look at you! Oh!

Oh, you're all grown up.
(laughs)

I can't believe it.

Can I skip school
and hang out with you guys?

No.

You have a math test today,
and I have to go to work.

I'll tell you what, Princess,

you get an "A" on that test,
and I'll take you

to Carousel Gardens for all
the junk food you can eat.

It's just fractions.
Piece of cake.

Ooh. We'll have
some of that, too.

Okay, go get your backpack.
We got to go.

(chuckles):
Bye.

Wow.
I know.

I get it. I-I should go.

Okay.
I'll text you.

Okay.

Liam?

Everything okay?

Yeah. Yeah.
Never better.

Talk to you later.

Okay.
Okay.

Oh, my God!

This was live-vlogged
last night at : .

Oh, my God, they sh*t her!

Looks like Crane got
too close to a story,

broadcast his own m*rder.

Oliver Crane was
a journalist?

That's a word for it.
(g*nsh*t over video)

He preferred sound bites
and sensationalism over facts.

Crane may have been
a handful, but...

...his heart was
in the right place.

Yeah, well, he did try to
ruin your career.

Oh. And he did
get you arrested.

But then he helped us take down
the men responsible.

Which is why we're gonna
help find his k*ller.

Isn't this NOPD's jurisdiction?

I spoke to
the chief,

explained our history
with Crane.

NOPD'll run point but welcome
any help we can offer.

First we need to
find Crane's body.

Divers are searching
the river.

CSU is working the crime scene.
No luck, no leads.

Why don't you go
pick up Sebastian,

head to the crime scene
so you can lend a hand?

You got it, Hannah.

What we do have is
the other victim at the scene:

Assistant District Attorney
Lydia Davenport.

I met her once.

Smart prosecutor.

Crane did say he
was gonna meet someone

with information about
a m*rder investigation.

Davenport could have
been sharing details

on one of her cases.

Let's find out which one.

Contact the D.A.'s office.

Check on any threats

or issues related to Davenport's
most recent prosecutions.

Crane claims he was
working on a huge story.

We just don't know
what that story was.

He teased his
vlog audience with it

but didn't give
any significant details.

Let's go to Crane's house.

Any reporter worth their salt

keeps notes on investigations.

(siren wailing in distance)

PRIDE:
Everything okay?

Yeah. I think so.

I, um, had an unexpected
visitor this morning.

Old colleague.
NCIS?

CIA. We worked
together in Oman

on my last
long-term assignment,

taking down Victor Zelko.
The arms dealer?

What'd this guy want?

Absolutely nothing.

Just saying hi.

And he's not
the "saying hi" type?

Liam lives in Delaware.

He shows up in
New Orleans...

at my door without calling.

Doesn't say a word.

Something's up.

(whispers):
Door.

Somebody searched this place.

(sighs)

I'll have Sebastian head over
and dust the place for prints.

Maybe just...

dust the place in general.

This loft hasn't been cleaned
in months.

Crane was eccentric.

Obsessed with his website,
BreakingNOLA.

Nothing else
mattered.

Final notice.

He's past due on everything.

Last time I was here,
this place was filled with...

computers, servers,
people.

Maybe the k*ller wanted
to get rid of the notes, too.

You know, the team
made him out to be a hack, but...

the Nexus is one of the highest
honors in journalism.

This guy was
the real deal.

Crane was a lot of things,

but he never won
a journalism honor

in his life.

PATTON: It's a digital key.
It's encrypted

with the password to access
Crane's cloud drive.

- Thousands of files.
- Any of them connect to his m*rder?

Well, I started
with the file labeled:

"In the event
of my untimely demise."

Well, I would say
he's being dramatic,

but in light
of current circumstances...

He was prophetic.

Let's see the video.

If you are watching this,

it means that I am dead.

There is no time
to mourn my loss.

In ,

a local defense attorney
was k*lled during a carjacking.

Police arrested an ex-con

and former client
who had threatened the victim.

PATTON:
This is spooky.

It's like he's solving
his own m*rder

from the grave.

Then, six months ago,

that same ex-con was k*lled
in the exact same location

and in the exact same way
as the attorney.

You might say coincidence.

I say, connect the dots, people.

This is just one example
of the conspiracy

that I have uncovered.

The cops
don't want you to know,

but I keep pushing.

Or I did, because now I'm dead.

You know, Crane goes on
to talk about two other cases.

The suspects were
released by the cops.

Then they were k*lled
in the same manner

as their alleged murders.
Crane's suggesting

law enforcement was involved
in these vigilante murders?

- Convinced of it.
- Well, crime scene was a bust.

No trace, no shell casings.

Suspect even went so far
as to dig the slugs

out of the concrete.
We're looking for someone

with advanced training
and knowledge

of forensic protocols.

Possibly a cop,
like Crane was theorizing.

Any sign of Crane's body?

No, not yet.
We can't find his phone, either.

Lasalle's sticking around
just in case, but, I mean,

you know how strong
those currents can be.

He'd be miles downriver
by now.

That means we
got nothing to go on.

But we're not the
only one looking.

Someone just accessed
Crane's cloud drive.

- Can you identify the user I.D.?
- No, but their terminal's

being used in the
Mercer Library.

The library's closed.

Yeah. Let's go.

PATTON (over comm): The connection to
Crane's cloud is still active.

Computers are just ahead.

Stay on comms.

NCIS!

MAN:
Aah! Wait! Wait! Don't sh**t!

Okay, okay.

Okay.

Oh.

PRIDE:
Crane.

Hey, Dwayne.

You're looking pretty good
for a dead man.

GREGORIO:
So, let me get this straight.

You threw yourself
in the Mississippi River

to play dead?

Lydia Davenport
had just been sh*t

right in front of me,
and I thought I was next.

And you're actually, you're not
out of the woods yet, either,

'cause the Mississippi's
pretty toxic.

You could have a flesh-eating
bacterial infection

and, like,
not even know it.

Did you get a look
at the suspect?

I don't know, dodging b*ll*ts

sort of took up
all my concentration.

Who else knew you were
meeting with A.D.A. Davenport?

No one. I always
protect my sources.

All evidence to the contrary.

So Davenport was assigned
to one of the m*rder cases

that you were
investigating?

Well, she was involved
in one of the cases.

- Her boyfriend was the victim.
- The lawyer k*lled

in the carjacking?
Yeah. When I found out

they dated,
I requested an interview.

She told me to go to hell
the first nine times.

Yeah, I bet you get that a lot.

Yeah. But ten is
my lucky number.

And exposing the truth
is my motto.

Focus, Crane.

HANNAH: If you had evidence
of a vigilante,

- why didn't you go to the police?
- I did.

They weren't
particularly concerned

with the deaths
of some scumbag ex-cons

who probably got
what they deserved.

It's a direct quote, by the way.

Any idea
what information Davenport

was about to share
with you?

No. All she said on the phone
was that she had

a new m*rder case
for me to look into.

I never found out what.

I might have that answer.

I looked into A.D.A. Davenport's
recent activities.

She spoke to a detective
in Baton Rouge regarding

an investigation that matches
Crane's pattern.

Ooh, another accused k*ller who
was acquitted and then m*rder*d?

Well, this victim wasn't charged
with a crime,

he was a person of interest
in a robbery gone wrong.

Suggests our k*ller has access
to internal police files.

Yeah, and it supports the theory
that the vigilante's

former law enforcement.

Or still on the job.

CRANE:
Or all of the above.

Because I believe
this is a conspiracy.

Any evidence?
Just history.

It wouldn't be the first time
some cops tried

to fix a broken system
by crossing the line.

That's Magnum Force,
that's The Star Chamber.

Those are movies.
Yeah, and no evidence.

Multiple jurisdictions, multiple
victims, multiple M.O.s.

- Open your eyes, people.
- HANNAH: We need to do a deep dive.

Cross-reference all these cases.

Find the common threads,
intersections.

- You mean do actual police work.
- HANNAH: Yeah.

I'll get with Patton
and we'll get to it.

Loop Loretta in.
(phone beeps)

Have her review
the case files.

See what she can find.
Sure.

(Hannah sighs)
What's up?

HANNAH:
Um, it's your brother.

Just texted. You know
that friend I told you about?

He's at the Trutone,
he's causing trouble.

Can you, um,
hold down the fort?

Sure.

This is exciting, right?

We got the whole
band back together.

What can I do?

Roll over and play dead.

What? No.
That's a terrible idea.

She's right.
As long as

the suspect thinks
that you're dead,

he won't try to k*ll you again.

Okay, when you explain it
like that,

- I actually sort of love that plan.
- Mm-hmm.

That's good. So... whose house
am I sleeping at tonight?

LIAM:
Trust me, my friend.

You do not want
to mess with me.

You got no argument here,
my man.

I could break your
neck with my thumb.

Okay, color me impressed,

but add that to the list
of reasons why you're cut off.

You know... (scoffs)
I can't tell you who I am,

- Okay.
- but if you knew...

HANNAH: Hey, Liam.

- If you knew...
- No one cares who you are.

Why don't you go sit down?

Because I'm trying
to get drunk.

Yeah, well,
mission accomplished.

Go. Sit.

Okay. I'm sitting.

Can I have two coffees?

Please.

(sighs) I am so sorry, Jimmy.

Thanks for reaching out.

We were getting along like
gangbusters two drinks ago.

Yeah.

Then Dr. Jekyll
became Mr. Hyde.

Brown or clear?

Whiskey or gin?
I just want to know

what Hyde I'm dealing with.

Whiskey.

That means hostile
but just so sloppy.

Guess you've been through
this before with him.

More than once.

(exhales sharply)

Three years sober.

You worked hard for that.

Sobriety's for
quitters, right?

Is that what you're doing
in New Orleans?

Jumping off the wagon,
come over here

to embarrass me
at my boss's bar?

Yeah, that's exactly
why I'm here.

You got something to say,
you can say it, Liam.

The raid on Victor Zelko--

the crown jewel of both
our careers--

wasn't quite as surgical
as we thought.

No, that was as clean an
operation as they come.

Special ops k*lled Zelko and
two bodyguards at his compound.

That's the official story,
Hannah.

The truth is far messier.

Victor's family was there, too.

No. No, they were in Istanbul.

I heard it from...
Our Intel confir...

I heard it
from the horse's mouth...

the commander who led the raid.

Zelko, his wife...

and his -year-old son...
were all there.

And all k*lled.

And our bosses covered it up.

You're so good, Hannah.

You're so even-keeled.

I can't tell if you're
actually surprised

or you really didn't know.

Of course I didn't know.

(footsteps approaching)

Our Intel confirmed...

Your Intel. Your source.

Are you trying to accuse me
of something here?

I'm saying we should
have waited.

We waited over a year
to find Zelko.

He tried to k*ll my family.

Everyone on our team signed off
on that raid.

And two innocent people d*ed
because of it.

Thousands of people d*ed
because of the weapons

that Zelko was selling.

It doesn't make
what we did right.

We did what we had to do, Liam,

with the best information
that we had available.

(sighs)

Well, I'm drinkin'.

And you're rationalizing.

Which is the worse sin?

SEBASTIAN:
Q-Anon?

Q-Anon's like a-a right-wing
marketing gimmick.

Now it is.

All I'm saying
is that doesn't

necessarily mean
that he wasn't real.

- Oh, man, Pizzagate, all right?
- CRANE: Yeah, Pizzagate.

Seriously?

Were you guys up all night
talking nerd?

Well, I mean, he thinks
that Q's posts were legit,

and I'm saying
they're propaganda,

but he wants...
First of all, shut it up.

Secondly, one of you mentions
Area or a grassy knoll

before I finish my coffee...
you're gonna get punched.

(quietly): Is she always this
much of a grump in the morning?

You wanna see a grump?

Hey, hey, hey. L-Listen,
hold on, hold on.

Hold on. Listen.

While you were sleeping,

Crane and I may have
figured out

how the suspect's been
picking his victims.

Look, all four names
appeared on this website.

GREGORIO:
What's The m*rder Index?

It's actually,
it's kind of brilliant.

I mean, it's obviously,

it's awful, too.

Explain.
Somebody created

a "m*rder algorithm."
It predicts the likelihood

that a suspected k*ller
actually committed a crime.

Based on what?
Stats and figures gleaned

from FBI and police databases.

They take the data,
they plug it into a program

and then the program assigns
every suspect a score.

Yeah, the creator of this site

is like the Bill James
of crime stats.

Yeah, well, random numbers
don't prove anything,

but false accusations
can ruin someone's life.

Yeah, or even get them k*lled.

All right. We got to find
this m*rder algorithm idiot.

Well, that's done and done.
Patton already hacked

the IP address, got a name.

Steve Betros. Runs an online
marketing firm in town.

That was also
while you were sleeping.

Look, Pride and Hannah

are on their way to talk
to Betros right now.

It also looks like Wade found
something in the forensic files,

so I'll head over to the
morgue, see what's up.

All right.

Well, looks like it's
just you and me, kid.

Uh-uh. Nope.

You're gonna
take him with you,

or somebody in this house
is gonna die.

Geez.

- I'm gonna be in the car.
- Yeah.

Betros Data Solutions is a
leader in digital marketing.

We mine social media
and other sites

to target our clients'
online marketing needs.

By using websites
with incessant pop-ups

and aggressive advertising?

Guilty as charged,
but... it's a living.

We're not here to talk
about online marketing.

We want to know
about your m*rder Index.

That's more of a pastime
than anything else.

I wouldn't call laying odds on
prospective K*llers a pastime.

it dangerous.

I'd call it a public service,

and there's nothing
unlawful about it.

Well, there is

if you're using
illegally mined records

from law enforcement databases.

- Is that an accusation?
- PRIDE: More of a theory.

Based on what we've seen
on the Index.

My site doesn't state
anyone's guilty.

It just interprets the data
and predicts an outcome.

That's a job
for the justice system.

Well, if that were true,
then my nieces

would still have their mother.

My sister was, uh,

beaten to death three years ago
in her own living room.

And the cops...
they knew who did it.

His name was Ed Lang.

And he walked because of
an illegal search conducted

by a rookie officer.

The system isn't perfect.

The system is a joke.

Ed Lang. I know that name.

He was a victim in one
of the m*rder cases

that Crane researched.

m*rder*d in his living room
about six months back.

You gonna accuse me
of that, too?

You have a strong motive,
Mr. Betros.

An even stronger alibi.

I mean, you
guys can check

with the NOPD detectives
who grilled me

for six hours straight.

That doesn't sound
like a denial.

(laughs):
Okay.

Then let me be clear.

I didn't k*ll Ed Lang.

But I haven't lost a moment's
sleep since he d*ed.

You may not have pulled
any triggers,

but you have wittingly
put a crosshair

on every name on your website.

BETROS: Yeah, I don't lose sleep
over that, either.

Because out of the three of us
in this room,

I'm the only one trying
to make this city a safer place.

I'll call the D.A.,
have an injunction filed

to shut the
m*rder Index down.

Yeah. Let's confirm
Betros's alibi

for Ed Lang's m*rder.

He checks every box
for a revenge k*lling.

It's hard to blame him.

I'm-I'm not saying
that it's okay,

just, he was trying
to right a wrong.

It's still
vigilante justice.

It's... complicated,
that's all.

I'll get cracking
on that alibi.

(car alarm chirps)

We are currently walking the
halls of the JPSO Morgue,

sanctum sanctorum
of Dr. Loretta Wade.

I reviewed the forensic
and autopsy files

on both the original victims

and the suspects accused
of k*lling them.

I'm hoping you found a
connection to our vigilante.

Dr. Wade is a crackerjack
medical examiner

and one of the best
pathologists in the South.

What I found was that
the vigilante k*lled

at least one
wrongly accused man.

We are gonna blow the lid off
this vigilante case.

You are not gonna blow the lid
off anything.

Freedom of the press is
a cornerstone

of democracy, Dr. Wade.

My morgue is not a democracy.

CRANE: Right. But if it
wasn't for me,

you wouldn't even really
have this case, right?

So you kind of owe me
the exclusive.

I don't owe you anything,
Mr. Crane.

Now, if you will stay
in the hallway,

Sebastian and I will continue
our consultation alone.

This is blatant censorship.

Call a cop.

Can I...?
Uh, uh...

(Crane groans)

(Sebastian sighs)
This is Dr. Arthur Wyndham.

He was found in an alley with
his throat cut last year.

NOPD suspected a drug addict
named Charlie Reese.

Right. But before they
were able to build a case,

he was found with his own
throat cut in the same alley.

Yeah. It was tragic, considering
Reese was completely innocent.

Well, how do you know?

Oh, I would've ruled him out
by weight and height alone.

Dr. Wyndham had
four inches on him,

and Reese suffered from
myasthenia gravis,

severely weakens
the skeletal muscles.

So there's no way he would
have had the strength

or the motor skills
to inflict such lethal damage.

Wait.
Charlie Reese was innocent?

I was convinced that he k*lled
Dr. Wyndham.

I did a two-part vlog about it.

Police incompetence and
the mishandling of justice.

It's what led me

to this vigilante story
in the first place.

Man, I hate when I'm wrong.

Imagine you'd grown used to it
by now.

If I agree with you,
can I please stay in here?

Yes. Don't touch
anything. No camera.

Okay.
(Sebastian sighs)

Okay, so, Reese was ex*cuted
by a vigilante

for a crime
that he never committed?

Yeah, but not necessarily
the same vigilante

for the other three cases.

Wait, so you agree

that there's at least two
of them out there, right?

We could be looking
at as many as four.

This is exactly what
I've been saying.

Right? We have

a bona fide conspiracy
on our hands here.

Oh, my God, I'm gonna win
a Pulitzer for this.

God have mercy on us all.

All right. These are
the original m*rder victims

that Crane was investigating.

All of them
from different walks of life,

all of them
from different jurisdictions.

GREGORIO:
That's James Ferrington, Jr.

Sophomore at LSU k*lled
in a robbery gone wrong.

That's what A.D.A.
Davenport wanted to share

with Crane before
she was k*lled.

Yeah. Now, over here
are the four men

suspected of k*lling them.

They themselves were m*rder*d

by vigilantes
in nearly identical ways.

All four of these dead suspects
were listed on the m*rder Index

created by Steve Betros.

Yeah. His sister
was k*lled by an Ed Lang,

and then Lang was k*lled
in the exact same way.

But Steve Betros

has a rock-solid alibi
for the Lang m*rder.

Right. But what if somebody else
k*lled Lang on Betros's behalf,

and then in return,

Betros k*lled one
of our other suspects.

Well, that's the plot
for Strangers on a Train.

Yeah, exactly.

Our vigilantes
are exchanging murders

to avoid suspicion.

Okay. Interesting theory.

It was Crane's idea.

One of his
less annoying contributions.

Okay, but who else is involved,

and how do all these people
know each other?

Victims United.

Support group for survivors
of violent crimes.

Davenport and Steve Betros
were members.

The founder...

is a man named
James Ferrington, Sr.

Father of the m*rder*d
LSU student.

Ex-state police detective
who quit after his son's death.

HANNAH: Former cop, access to law
enforcement databases.

That makes Victims United

ground zero.

WOMAN:
He was our baby!

And you k*lled him, you monster!

You have to purge that anger.
(crying)

Embrace it.

Use it.

If you're living with fear,

if you're holding on to pain...

you're just another victim.

And victims get no respect.

Just ask our guests
from law enforcement.

They'll tell you.

Sorry to interrupt.
We need to speak with you

and, uh, Mr. Betros, please.

Go right ahead.

This is an open forum.

It's a sensitive matter.

Are you here to arrest us?

No, sir. Just to talk.

Then go ahead and talk.

We're investigating
a string of murders.

All connected to this group.

Since you're a former
cop, we were hoping

for cooperation
and understanding.

Well, I'm sorry to disappoint.

But, see, there's a reason
why I'm a former cop.

See, the system you serve
doesn't serve the victims.

Innocent people die,
and the guilty

escape the punishment
that they deserve.

Charlie Reese
get what he deserved?

He m*rder*d a doctor while
trying to steal money for dr*gs.

No, he didn't. He was innocent.

Your website got him k*lled.

That's crap.
I ran the data.

It's irrefutable.
Steve, stop talking.

No. We need to continue
this conversation,

but in private.

There's nothing left to say.


If you have any more questions,

you can ask them
through our lawyers.

Thought you said
this was an open forum.

It's just been closed.

Let's take five. Grab a coffee.

Some cake.

Let's go, Christopher.

What are we doing?

We could take both
of them in right now.

Betros, he's dying to talk.

Let's just
keep an eye on them.

See what they do next.

CRANE (over video):
NOPD should be ashamed

for letting a cold-blooded
k*ller back on the streets.

Charlie Reese is a predator,
plain and simple.

Is that your report
on Charlie Reese?

(video stops)

Yeah, I was convinced this was

some terrible miscarriage
of justice. You know?

Cops sleeping on the job.

You made a mistake.

Yeah, a mistake I can live with.
I make them on the regular.

But no, this...

I tracked this guy down
to his halfway house.

I harassed him with questions.

I vilified him,
and I got him k*lled.

All right, all right. Relax.

Maybe you're being
too hard on yourself.

Oh.

You being nice
just makes it worse.

That's just pity.

No, I'm not nice. I
don't even like you.

I think that you're shifty
and actually annoying.

Oh. Okay. Is that supposed
to make me feel better?

But I don't pity you.

And as much as it
pains me to say this,

I kind of respect you
for working so hard

to try to get the truth.

(chuckles)
You respect me?

Kind of. Don't make this weird.

Okay.
And drop the "poor me" crap

and come in the other room and
help us solve this case already.

Okay. Yeah. Let's go, partner.

Come on.

I don't think embracing
your anger really helps.

Well, I think

survivors are looking
for anything

to guide them through the pain.

LASALLE: In this case,
they took it too far.

Yeah.

(car alarm chirps)
Got eyes on Betros.

LASALLE:
Oh.

Dude doesn't look too happy.

Let's see where they go.

LASALLE:
All right.

♪ ♪

Hey, Jimmy.

(exhales)

How's he doing tonight?

A regular Boy Scout.

Maybe it's 'cause
he ordered gin.

Great.

Gin makes him sad
and sentimental.

I've seen that look
in his eyes before.

Mostly in the mirror.

Your friend's lost his way.

I'll see if I can do
something about that.

Thanks for meeting me here.

Well, you're the only person
I know in Louisiana,

so I didn't have much of a
choice for a drinking companion.

Yeah, well, I'm not here
to drink with you, but...

I would like to know why
the CIA suspended you.

(exhales)

Well, I could tell you,
but then...

You'd have to k*ll me.

Yeah, I know.
That joke was never that funny.

What happened, Liam?

Bosses found out

I was digging into
the Zelko raid.

Asking questions.

They told me to stand down,

so I told them to screw off.

Brilliant move. What's next?

The New York Times?

You can't.

We have blood on our hands.

All of us.

And someone on our team
tried to cover it up.

- Who?
- I don't know.

But I'll find out.

It'd go a lot faster
if I had some help.

Can't.

'Cause you're afraid
of finding out the truth?

No, because the world is a
better place without Zelko in it is why.

We made mistakes, yeah.

But we did the best we could.

Somebody drank the Kool-Aid.

Zelko tried to k*ll my family.

And in exchange, we k*lled his.

Ah, it's a regular
fairy tale ending.

It's just not that
simple for me.

Well, there you have it.

I'm on my own.

Liam. Liam, wait.

Just wait.

This is a lot to process

for me, okay?
I know.

I want to hear you out. I do.

Tomorrow.

Okay? You come sober.

I'll come with an open mind.

Okay.

It's a plan.
Okay.

Little late for
a staff meeting.

- BETROS: Don't do this.
- MAN: I have to.

(indistinct chatter)

This is the last time.

Or I swear I'll call the cops.

(banging nearby)

PRIDE:
g*n!

BETROS:
In here!

Oh!

Betros, hang in there.
sh**t's in the wind.

Call .

He's still alive.

(sighs)
Steve Betros is out of surgery,

but he's still sedated in ICU.

Well, hopefully he'll I.D.
the sh**t as he wakes up.

Any idea what information

he was giving the suspect
at his office?

Well, Patton's still trying to
access the m*rder Index server.

Smart money says they're picking
their next victim.

- Yeah.
- CRANE: Flag on the play.

We don't think
Betros is involved.

We don't?

Crane's actually
sort of helpful.

Even compliments from you
come off as snarky.

It's a gift. Crane and I
established a timeline.

Turns out Steve Betros

and A.D.A. Davenport have
alibis for all four murders.

Kind of blows our Strangers
on a Train theory, though.

Okay, well, if Davenport
and Steve Betros

aren't involved,
that leaves...

James Ferrington.

Pride and Lasalle have
him in Interrogation now.

LASALLE:
This may have started

as some warped idea
of justice,

but innocent people
are dying now.

I didn't k*ll any of them.

But you know who did, don't you?

Okay.

Why don't you tell us
about your son

instead?

He was gonna major
in criminal justice.

He wanted to be like me.

Must have been proud.

When he was a kid,

he told all his friends

that I was
a real-life superhero.

But when it mattered the most,
I wasn't there to help him.

(exhales) A father's
not supposed to bury his son.

LASALLE:
Charlie Reese's father

buried him, too.

Now Lydia Davenport's mother
will do the same.

Be the superhero
your son looked up to.

Help us stop
the k*lling.

About a year ago,

Steve told everybody

about his idea
for the m*rder Index.

But he needed raw data from
law enforcement agencies.

Which you and Lydia Davenport
could provide.

We just wanted to
expose the murderers,

not k*ll anybody.

Someone else
had different plans?

His name is Guy DeWalt.

Instead of finding solace
in the group sessions,

they just fueled his rage.

They made him angrier,
more extreme.

Did he tell you
what he was doing?

No.

But we figured it
out pretty quick,

especially when he started
asking about police procedure.

He became obsessed
with forensic protocol.

How to clean up after himself.

Leave no trace.

With enough knowledge,
he could manipulate crime scenes

to make it look like there
were different K*llers.

We knew we had to stop him.

Just didn't know how.

You should have gone
to the police.

And be let down by the system?

Again?

But Lydia-- she agreed
to speak with that reporter.

Crane.

He must've figured out
what she was planning.

He k*lled her, too.

All I wanted was
justice for my boy.

PATTON: Guy DeWalt is
a former Green Beret.

Dishonorable discharge
for insubordination.

And he has a long history
of anger problems.

Have any specific connections
to these vigilante cases?

Oh, yeah. DeWalt
and Wyndham served in the--

in the Army together.
They were BFFs.

He even spoke
at his funeral.

Sorry, was it not my turn
to speak?

So we got a clear motive for
going after Wyndham's m*rder*r.

Yeah, except he k*lled
Charlie Reese,

who was innocent.

Which is why I think
DeWalt is looking

for Wyndham's real k*ller now.

You know, the last thing

Betros did before he got sh*t

was run his m*rder algorithms
on Wyndham's case again.

PRIDE: DeWalt forced
Betros to find him

the next most likely suspect.

Wallace Fanning.

PATTON: Pulling his address up
right now.

Send the details to my phone.
Christopher, let's go.

Can I help you?

Is that the data
that Betros used

to run Wyndham's
m*rder algorithm?

Yeah. Why?

Because the date
of the m*rder's wrong.

It was in June, not July.

Faulty data,
faulty results.

Which means Wallace Fanning
is probably innocent, too.

Betros's algorithm
may not be ethical,

but it is effective.

If we were to plug in
the correct data...

We could probably I.D.
the real k*ller.

(siren wailing)

NCIS.

Looking for Wallace Fanning,

the man who lives here.

You're not the only one.

Place is empty.

Got reports
of sh*ts fired.

Looks like there was some kind
of struggle inside.

All right. Thank you.

DeWalt must already
have Fanning.

Taking him back to that alley,
finish what he started?

Guy DeWalt
went after the wrong man.

How do you know?

Because Patton and I
just found the right one.

Come on.
Where are you going?

To catch a k*ller
and save an innocent man's life.

(sighs)
I guess we should go?

Yeah.

(tires screeching)

I'll circle round back.
Yeah.

(phone vibrating)

FANNING:
Please.

I don't know
what you're talking about.

I-I didn't--
I didn't k*ll anyone.

You think lying's
going to save you?

I got no idea
what you're talking about!

I swear!

Federal agent!
Drop the w*apon!

(grunting)

Or what?

Drop it!

You want
to sh**t me,

yeah, that's fine.

You can do anything
you want to me.

Just as soon as this man pays
for what he did!

This isn't justice,
DeWalt.

Wyndham's memory
deserves better than this.

Wyndham's throat was slit
in this alley.

No one gave a crap
about his memory then.

I can't answer for that.

But I can tell you that this man

did not k*ll
your friend.

Don't. Don't you try

and play me here.

I'm not playing you.

I'm just giving you
the facts.

You're about
to k*ll another

innocent man.

Not another step!

This man k*lled Arthur!

(grunting)

(grunting)
(panting)

Hold still!

(grunting)

(panting)

Wallace Fanning didn't k*ll
Dr. Wyndham.

CRANE: NOPD officers
have just arrested Johnny Nolan,

the man responsible
for the brutal m*rder

of Dr. Arthur Wyndham.

Nolan had been
previously convicted

for selling dr*gs
in the same alley

where Dr. Wyndham's body
was found.

Personal items belonging to
the doctor were also recovered,

including a commemorative Kn*fe

honoring his service
in the Special Forces.

So there's finally an end
to this tragic story

of twisted justice.

As always, we here
at the BreakingNOLA team

will continue looking into
the darkest corners of this city

to bring you the truth.

(chuckles): Oh.
Check it out. I went viral.

PRIDE:
Glad to see you back

on track, Crane.
Yeah.

Means I don't have
to play dead anymore.

Unless that's why
I went viral.

Is that your way of thanking
us for keeping you alive

and giving you the
story of the year?

We really do work very well
together, don't you think?

Oh?

Maybe we could make this
a regular thing.

Oliver Crane,

NCIS special
investigative consultant.

It's got a nice ring to it.

PRIDE: Well,
you know what they say

about too much
of a good thing...

Yeah. It's even better.

- Yeah.
- (laughs): Yeah. Yeah.

Just take care
of yourself, Crane.

All right.

Try not to get
sh*t at again.

Yeah.

(exhales)

You want to go finish
that game of Risk we started?

Oh, my God, yes. I thought
you were never gonna ask.

Nerds.

♪ ♪

♪ My troubles are behind me ♪

♪ And my glass is full of wine ♪

♪ My troubles are behind me ♪

HANNAH:
Jimmy!

I'm guessing you're here
for business, not pleasure.

You seen Liam?

He hasn't been by tonight.
I was supposed

to meet him at his hotel,
but he checked out.

He's not answering
his phone either.

That doesn't sound
promising, does it?

No, it really
doesn't. Damn it.

You two have
a falling out?

Yeah. Sort of.

I came here to... fix it.

Explain myself. But...

I guess he doesn't
want to hear it.

Well, one thing I'm sure of:

you're trying to be a friend to
a man who's clearly suffering.

It's not on you.

That's really nice of you
to say, Jimmy,

but it's not necessarily true.

♪ Oh, now, come on, baby ♪

Come on, baby
♪ Come on, baby ♪

Come on, baby
♪ Come on, baby ♪

Come on, baby

♪ Come on, baby... ♪

♪ Ooh, forget about it ♪

♪ I hear the music... ♪

LIAM (recorded):
Hey, Hannah. It's Liam.

Uh, got your messages.

Sorry I missed you at the hotel,
but some,

uh, interesting business
turned up overseas

and I had to catch a plane.

Um, I can't get into details
over the phone, but, uh,

yeah, I'll-I'll fill you in
the next time I'm in town.

(sighs) Listen,
I-I put too much on you, Hannah.

I just don't have anyone else
I can talk to

about this thing.

Um...

Hey, give the princess
a hug for me.

Tell her, uh,

I'll have to take a rain check
on all that junk food.

- (chuckles) All right, well,
- (door opens)

talk soon.

Hey, Mom!

Hey, baby.

Hey.

Like I said,

piece of cake.

Oh, my God, you got an
A-plus on your math test!

Mm-hmm.

Come here.

Come here.

(chuckles)

Everything okay, Mom?

Yeah.

It will be, baby.

(sniffles)

It will be.
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