Numb3rs s01e04 Episode Script
Structural Corruption
In 20 years of teaching, I've never received|evaluation comments like these.
"Boring.
" Me? "Intellectually inaccessible" I thought we cameup on this hike to get|your mind off of this ridiculous thing.
I mean, one student even said I'm|out of touch with cutting-edgehinking in multidimensional theory.
That one alone kept me up at night.
Everybody gets bad evaluations|now and then.
Come on! Yeah, yeah, says the professor who|never receed anything less than a rave.
As with any large group, there are|responses that cover the entire spectrum.
I once had a girl in my combinatronics seminar tell|me that I was disorganized and I talked too fast.
That's an accurate|observation, actually.
But, generally speaking, I|mean, your students love you, whereas mine say my|classes put them to sleep.
You're an exceptional professor.
I shld know,I took classes from you.
Yeah, but you were an|exceptional young mind.
Perhaps I've lost my ability to|reach the more typical student.
- Hey, Professor Fleinhardt.
|- Hey, how's it How's it How's it How-how you How you How you See, we're not even in class, and|still my students run away from me.
I don't think that's it.
Right They're right down this way.
Come on.
Hurry, man.
So who do we have here? Finn Montgomery.
Male,|white, 21.
CalSci student I.
D.
No way! It is Finn Montgomery! He jumped.
Professor, my name isn't Montgomery.
Uh Sadly, it happens all the time.
Any witnesses? Not for the launch.
A|couple after the landing.
Textbook header, probable suicide.
This is terrible.
I|- I can really use your advice on some calculations in my engineering thesis.
Well, he could have stepped|off the brid instead of jumping.
Yeah, but there are other factors.
You know, while gravity pulled him down, the|wind would have pushed him away from the bridge.
Well, look, there'not a lot of wind around|here.
How much effect would that have? Finn was wearing a windbreaker.
It's nonpermeable.
It offers an increased surface area for the|wind to act upon, especially if he was moving.
But if we look at the point of|impact, that's not what we see.
Wind and gravity are constant,|leaving only the surface area.
Somehow, that was reduced.
What are you saying, he was unconscious? Or dead already.
What's the difference between where he should have|landed,if it was a suicide, and where he landed? A foot to 18 inches.
A foot?! Outside the margin of error.
Listen, unless there is a|clear and compelli reason, I can't get the FBI to interfere in local|investigation because my brother has a theory.
That's not the way it works.
There are indications that Finn|Montgomery did not jump off this bridge.
Yeah, and to me, there's indications|this is not just about physics.
Please, if you can just|take a quick look, uh Look, everything I told you|about the fall still holds up.
But, yeah, Finn Montgomery|was in my office two days ago.
We all use math every day to forecast weather to tell time to handle money We also use math to analyze crime reveal patterns predict behavior Using numbers, we can solve|the biggest mysteries we know.
Look, Charlie, this is the kind|of information I need up front.
If the kid wasn't one of your students,|then why did he come and seeou? CalScis a small university.
It's a tight community.
Students often consult professors|outside of their department.
He never tried to contact|you again- e-mail or? Maybe I was too - unapproachable, I|- I don't know.
Yeah, well, maybe it had|nothing to do with you.
But what if he was trying|to tell me something? All right, look, I'll|make some phone calls.
But the FBI can't just insert|themselves in these kind of things.
If the police closed the case, they|might not mind me looking around.
I understand, and thank you.
I|- I really appreciate it.
I mean, I'm not convinced this is|anything more than what it looks like.
You never mentioned that|you had a Fed for a brother.
A "Fed"? I didn't think it'd be much of|a selling point with you, Eva.
My views on government intrusion|into academia are rather firm.
Oh, yeah? Would that be too firm|to talk about Finn Montgomery? His suicide or the Malone scandal? Scandal? Yeah, another student, Brian Malone, was expelled two|weeks ago for falsifying data in a lab result, right? Finn filed the honor code violations|that led to Brian's expulsion.
Did they get into any|confrontation over that? Violence isn't an automatic|response to conflict, Agent Epps.
No, but it's a popular one, Ms.
Salton.
Eva, what was Finn's thesis topic? It was an engineer's pspective on|the work of architect Gaar Haybridge.
He designed the Cole Center downtown.
Right, he also did e Keyerleber Annex.
Something very inviting about|th entrance, don't you think? Yes, there is.
Finn was an intense kid.
He was obsessive about researching his|thesis, but he was falling behind schedule.
When you say intense, you mean|intense enough to kill himself? All right, wl I'd like to take a look at his research.
Here is the key to his|office in the library.
Thanks for your|cooperation, Mrs.
Salton.
Anytime, Fed.
Thanks, Eva.
"Keyerleber Annex"? Yeah, well, I was|actually staking out a bank for three weeks right across the street and they had|a plaque that described its architectural significance.
Look, I think we should check|out this kid's work, all right? You think his research has|some bearing on his death? Sure.
If he was hitting dead ends, or he|was late on his thesis, I mean, it might.
Excuse me.
Uh, can we help you? I'm a professor in the math department, Charlie Epps.
I'm really just so sorry for your loss.
You just need to excuse me.
Honey Are you, uh Were you one of Finn's teachers? No, I wasn't.
He had come to me fosome help with some|calculations that he was doing for his thesis.
That thesis- he was under a lot of pressure|trying to get that done.
He sounded tired, frustrated- that people didn't understand his work.
I didn't understand it either.
He was speaking a different language.
Maybe if I'd slowed down,|taken more time with him These are beautiful|sketches, Mr.
Montgomery.
They're all Haybridge buildings.
Finn said the designs were perfect.
He could see so much|more than I ever could.
Mr.
Montgomery, would you mind if I, um, looked over so of Finn's research?|Because he asked me for help on his thesis.
When you're done, would you would you walk me through it? If I can understand my son's life a little bit|better, I mighbe able to understand why he died.
I mean, I really don't|think it's murder, but Charlie's got something stuck in|his craw and he's done right by us, so David and I will drop by the medical|examiner's, see what he has to say.
It's got to be on the side, right? If it weren't my brother, I'd never|hear the end of it.
I'd stay away.
Okay And I can check out the kid's|bio for signs he was depressed.
Well, on behalf of the|Brothers Epps, I thank you.
I'll talk to you later.
You know, you didn't|have to come with me.
It's your first jumper|- they can be a little intense.
So, what's the FBI doing,|nosing around a probable suicide? Agent Epps has a personal|connection to the case.
As you can see, victim suffered|extensive facial trauma.
Broken jaw, busted zygomatic arch, typicawith face-first falls.
Skull damage is extensive.
Cause of death was impact from the fall.
Any indication that he was attacked|or knocked unconscious prior to falng? If anything happened to his face,|it would be impossible to tell.
But none of his other injuries|suggest an altercation or struggle.
You okay? Yeah.
John, what's, what's our bottom line? Odds are, this is a suicide.
But I can't rule out|completely a homicide.
Thank you.
Come on, let's go.
I understand Finn got|you kicked out of here? Montgomery could've come to me, given me a chance to|redo the experiment.
I would have done that.
And, instead, he gets you booted out of|school.
Boy, I know how that'd make me feel.
I'm not saying I didn't fantasize|about throwing him off a bridge.
His girlfriend dumped him a|couple weeks ago, you know.
And he was always stressing|out about his thesis.
That's normal, isn't it? Finn took it to the next level.
Brian, where were you last night? Friends came by to help me pack.
Crashed around 6:00|a.
m.
Am I a murr suspect? That's actually kind of cool.
That's funny.
I'm going to need the names numbers of your friends.
Dad what are you doing here? I called|you; you hadn't called me back.
I would've entually.
Is everything okay? Yeah, yeah, sure.
I need|you to come to dinner at the house on Wednesday.
um I have a date.
Oh, yeah, a date? Hey,|well, that's good.
With who? Oh, someone Art knows from yoga.
Yeah, her name's Jill.
He says she's smart,|she's funny and, uh, quite flexible.
So I we're having dinner at the|house and I would like you to be there.
Wow, hey, no.
Just take her|somewhere low-key.
You'll be fine.
Look, it's my first date in over 35 years.
|I would like "memorae" instead of "low-key.
" "Low-key" and "memorable"|aren't mutually exclusive.
You know what my favorite date ever|was? Peeroni pizza in a Laundromat.
Yes, which explains the conspicuous|absence of grandchildren.
So, Wednesda 7:30.
Bring a date? I can't.
Dad, I'm busy, and I don't anticipate|meeting anyone between now and then either.
No, I just want to make it|a couples thing, you know.
Looking like, seeming like Hi.
Hey.
Mr.
Epps.
Good to see you.
You, too.
You'll think of something.
Give me a forensic psychologist's|take on Finn Montgomery.
He went to university mental health four times|during the past two months for major depression.
Insurance records show he ran out of|his anti-depressant three weeks ago never got a refill.
All right, so he breaks|up with his girlfriend, he falls behind on his work,|he stops taking the meds.
>From a forensic psychologist's|point of view, it is what it is.
It is what it is.
Oh, hey, Charlie.
Here you are.
Hey, I'm going through Finn's research.
|He's made some very interesting observations.
May I show you? I'm sorry.
I just came by|to tell you we cannot take this any further.
I mean, to us, it's clearly a suicide.
No, I don't think so.
I know you don't want to think so, but listen, if you just|step back from your personal feelings, I think you'll see Look, I'm not denying that I|feel some component of guilt.
But I've made these adjustments based|solely on the circumstances involved.
This kid had some|serious problems, okay? A student conference was|not going to save his life.
Don't assume I'm being|so irrational, you know? Just because I'm not as detached|as you are.
Hey, hold it.
Look, you got no idea the daily|horrors my job serves up to me.
Detached.
yeah, you're right, I'm|detached.
That's how I function.
I'm sorry, I know, I know.
No, you don't know.
Look,|Charlie, I'm glad you don't know.
Terry and David gave you a day.
Okay,I pulled some favors for you.
These people work hard.
I can't|spend any more resources on this.
You won't, you mean.
You|won't Right, I won't.
Larry.
Hey, Don, how's it? Good.
Okay.
Something I can help you with? Well, it's evident Finn was obsessed with the design and|construction of the Cole Center Building.
There was some problem here|that he was trying to solve, that he needed my help with.
So we must infer that it involves math.
Oh if I'd given him five minutes well, or ten or a week.
It might've made all the difference|in the world or none at all.
You know, Charlie, look at this way you've got Einstein, dead for decades Descartes|- centuries.
A scholar's research continues|speak long after he's gone.
And somewhere, in all of this, Finn Montgomery's going to|find a way to talk to you.
Well, let's see, he's got engineering plans, soil reports, inspection updats.
Meteorological data.
Well, how does that relate to a thesis on|Gaar Haybridge and the Cole Center Building? The same math used in aeronautical design and fluid|dynamics also predicts how a building behaves in wind.
And he was interested in knowing how the building|would react to different weather conditions.
Suggests that he was|investigating a structural issue.
I need to check out the|Cole Center in person.
Excuse me.
What are you doing? A simple experiment.
It's a pendulum.
Sir, you and the pendulum need to leave.
Okay.
It drew an ellipse.
Now.
On paper, the design's sound.
>From the simple|experiments I carried out, I can tell you that the|construction of the Cole Center does not match these plans- that in fact,the building|experiences excessive wind deflection.
For the non-engineers here? Deflection? Uh, the degree to which a vertical|line bends when force is applied.
A stalk of wheat deflects a lot.
An oak tree much less so.
Bottom line me.
Is the building unsafe? I'd need to run some|simulations, I need to find out, you know, what are we talking about.
|Are we talking abo cracked plaster or something way more serious? Finn believed something|was seriously wrong with this building, but|he didn't know what it was.
I have to answer that question for him.
The data I collected yesteay showed me that the Cole|Center deflects six degrees in 30-mile-per-hour winds, so I've programmed this|model to do exactly the same.
It won't pinpoint a specific|structural problem But it'll show how a building that deflects that much|will react under different types of stresses.
That's right.
If Charlie's right, and the Cole Center|wasn't built according to its plans Someone made a legitimate mistake or committed fraud, which makeFinn|a potential whistle-blower, and that exposes the Cole to|millions in damages and repairs.
Not to mention a lot of bad|publicity for the building and everyone whose name is on it|- architect, contractor Owner.
Finn Montgomery's phone records have him|calling Elliot Cole's office several times.
As well as Haybridge, the|architect, and Nevelson Ctracting.
We have motive and suspects.
Yeah, what we don't have|is evidence of a homicide.
I was finishing up the|Montgomery autopsy and found this.
Wasn't here before.
when the heart stops, so does the|flow of blood to broken vessels.
But fluids thinner than blood keep moving, very slowly.
As a result, injuries incurred just pri to death|take at least 24 hours for e bruising to occur.
So Finn Montgomery was injured|before he fell off that bridge.
This could be a defensive wound from an object|like a pipe.
Someone swung at his head He put up his arm to block it maybe.
Of course, it could|have been self-inflicted.
Maybe while he was climbing over the rail,|or maybe he struck s arm on the way down.
Those are two very|different "could haves.
" Get me the object used.
I might be able to match|it back to the injury.
Okay.
Mr.
Nevelson, we'd like to talk|to you about Finn Montgomery.
He called you about structural|problems with the Cole Center.
If I answered the phone for every|amateur architect and random complaint, nothing would ever get built.
Besides, I had enough trouble|with the owner on that build; I wanted to move on.
Elliot Cole has a reputation|as a micromanager, right? Yeah.
That's how I knew|the kid was blowing smoke.
Cole Center passed every inspection.
Cole wouldn't have anything less.
FBI! What'd we do wrong this time? What did you do wrong last time? This is Bob Mazzelli.
Chief of Security.
Are you aware that even without|talking about inspections, the Cole Center doesn't match|plans on file with the city.
I don't know anything about that, but my guys did|the work exactly the way they were supposed to.
In '94, the city attorney investigated your company|for a case involving stolen construction materials.
They investigated seven companies, hon.
Ours wasn't one of the|two that got indicted.
If you're hang problems with the Cole Center, I think|you have to look for the lunatic that designed it- the architect|- Haybridge.
Okay.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Is it just me, or you get the feeling|that security guy kind of liked you? Cat and dog thing.
Some guys|like women who can handcuff them.
Can't blame him for that.
Hey what are you doing for dinner tonight?|My dad's cooking for his friend Jill.
What, you mean like, a double date? No, no, I mean, he'd be on a date.
You'd just be doing me a favor.
We can talk about work.
Nice to see your social|skills are as sharp as ever.
Terry, I'm just trying to be up-front.
I don't want there to be any weirdness.
You know, given our history.
No weirdness, Don.
Just history.
That a "yes"? Maybe.
If I let you bring your cuffs? Well, in that case Mr.
Haybridge,were you contacted about|possible problems with the Cole Center? Yes, spoke with a Mr.
Montgomery.
I told him he was wrong.
The Cole Center wouldn't be the first of|your designs to have structural issues.
- The concert hall in Seattle|- Had a minor problem.
A quickly remedied minor problem.
We|experimented with thin concrete flooring, it didn't work out.
I might also add the financiers only noticed|the sagging when I brought it to their attention.
Great.
Do any experimenting|with the Cole Center? No.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have|clients waiting ck at the office.
Mr.
Haybridge, please don't|make me follow you to your office and question you about fraud and|possible murder in front of your clients.
Look, the Cole Center is my signature building.
|But Cole froze me out after the design phase.
Why would he do that? Because I'm Gaar Haybridge, and my buildings are famous|because they're designed by me.
Elliot Cole wanted to be the|big man behind the Cole Center.
You think he might have cut any corners, authorized any changes that could've|compromised the structure's integrity? Not knowingly.
Cole expects that|building to last forever as a monument to himself.
Hi, I'm Rachel.
Mr.
Cole will be with|you in a minute.
You can follow me.
He's just completed a|call.
Would you like a seat? Listen Hi.
Hi.
you're looking at equity|of about $200 million.
Because I know everything, Steven.
Well, check your numbers|and we'll talk tomorrow.
Thank you.
Sorry about that.
How can I help you? We're looking into theeath of a young|CalSci student named Finn Montgomery.
Ever try a standing desk? It's fantastic.
You know, Mozart used one.
Uh, Montgomery The engineering student who thought there|was something wrong with the building.
We directed his calls|to the PR Department.
Is this the Michaelson agreement? I don't see the changes I asked for.
Yes, they're listed under Addendum C.
Oh.
He may have actually discovered|a structural flaw in the building.
A student found something that the architect, the|project engineer,three dozen city inspectors,and I missed? Yes.
It might explain why there's evidence|Montgomery may have been murdered.
Oh, I see.
So we're talking conspiracy here.
Here you go.
Thank you.
Well, you did put $300 million of your|own money into the building.
Is that coect? Yes.
And the overruns forced|you into bankruptcy? Yes, and the success of this building got me out of bankruptcy and into a very profitable|phase of my career.
Right.
But during a|non-profitable phase, it might make sense for you to do|everything to stop hemorrhaging cash, right? I love spending money.
I love making money.
Taking risks comes with|the territory on both.
So, please, do your due diligence,send|in an inspection team.
This building is as safe as kittens.
Thank you for your time.
Oh, you're welcome.
Uh and if I did cut corners- if I had compromised the safety|of this building in any way- would I have my office in it? We'll be in touch.
Let's try an earthquake|th a magnitude of 8.
2.
A minor structural warning,but, seismically, the building appears solid.
I owe it to Find to find out|what's wrong with this building.
Let's see how it does in high winds.
You know, when I was|working as a city planner, I saw every shortcut in the books.
You know, kickbacks, overbilling, pulling rebar from one job and|trying to use it in another.
Oh sorry.
I make Cole for a|narcissist,not a sociopath.
I get the feeling he's only interested|in victories he can brag about.
Oh, my God! The bread|in the oven.
I forgot.
Relax.
I got it.
Just relax.
I'm just a little nervous.
Don't worry.
Everything looks wonderful.
In fact, your|son could learn a few things from you.
You know where we|went on our first date? All right, all right, all right.
A Laundromat.
Dinner was pizza.
A little professionalism, - You don't say?please.
All right?|- Let's just Oh, interesting.
The buildingis within all required|limits for earthquakes and wind.
And the tests seem fairly conclusive.
I feel like we're we're missing something.
Whatever Finn uncovered must|have been something significant.
Charles, can I tell you a story? Yes, please.
As long as it's not another parable|from the lives of the great mathematicians.
No.
This is about a sophomore student I once had|- Kevin Flannermans.
This was 20 years ago.
Kevin hanged himself.
Right.
Well, Finn didn't kill himself.
Well, but, maybe just the possibility that he did|- maybe that is the variable that you are disallowing from the problem.
He came to me with|an important question.
I owe him an answer.
Okay, well, you've geniously sidestepped my point.
You know, there are a few rare wind events that we haven't tested.
I'm sorry.
Actually, talking about|hobbies is a smart move.
I'm supposed to know Jill's|mother died in a skiing accident? How?! She's stopped crying.
It's funny how Charlie gets stuck|at the office at all the right times.
Okay.
We'll havea good meal, some nice wine and some|pleasant conversation.
Everything will be fine.
Just tell me you asked|if she eats everything.
She's not a vegetarian.
I asked.
What do you think I am? Stupid? I sure hope you like duck.
of course I do.
I have two|- Paddles and Mr.
Waddlesworth.
Oh, my God! I don't eat it.
i'm|Sorry.
I didn't know.
I'll take it away.
Yeah? Right.
Okay, Okay right.
Right.
Yep.
We're on our way.
Yep.
Dad, sorry.
We got to go.
Sure.
Go ahead.
Couldn't get any worse.
Listen.
Alcohol.
lots of alcohol.
For who? The problem is wind.
Wouldn't they have already|tested for stability in winds? Engineers test structural|response to gusts along two axes: north to south and east to west.
And, in those cases, a single side supported|by two corners bears the brunt of the wind load.
Think of a straight-on|wind as two cars colliding.
In contrast-|excuse me- quartering winds hit|a building at an angle, exerting pressure on two sides|anchored by a single corner.
Imagine a car getting hit from the|back and the side simultaneously.
Can those winds cause structural issues? Our tests show that the Cole Center is sound for|head-on winds of up to 90 miles per hour.
But here's what happens|with quartering winds as low as 60 miles per hour.
First, the steel frame bends|beyond its limits, and stays bent.
Then this strained steel|hardens and becomes brittle.
Under continuing stress, this steel will|fracture, causing complete structural collapse.
Finn Montgomery found the problem in the building's|deflection.
He suspected the effects would be serious.
I could really use your advice on some|calculations in my engineering thesis.
He was right.
And he may have paid with his life.
Our simulation demonstrate that the Cole Center could|experience failure in a 60 mile-per-hour quartering wind.
Now, as the head of the|Department of Building and Safety, you've got to realize what a huge, imminent risk|that poses when the building is filled with people.
Are you a structural engineer? Hmm? No.
An expert in wind dynamics? He is a professor of|applied mathematics.
He's talking theory and supposition.
If any of this goes public, I will sue the FBI for slander.
Professor Epps, I respect your background|and reputation, but I can't make a decision Well, do me a favor,|and forget my reputation.
Consider what happened|in Kansas City.
In 1981, The Hyatt Regency walkway|collapsed.
Killed 114 people.
In Hartford, in 1978, - the structure of a sports arena failed.
|- Those volved fraud and malfeasance.
Serious building flaws were|found in each of those cases.
Can you connect the Cole Center's|deflection to a specific structural issue? Because of the potential|risk of casualties, we think it's something you|should take very seriously.
You want to ruin my|building's reputation? We want to save lives.
Render it worthless|on an obscure and nonspecific theory? Look, I can't point to a|specific problem at this time, but let me tell you something.
|The evidence is there.
Mr.
Cole, you're going to have to leave now if|you're going to make your board meeting.
Thank you.
Gentlemen, the Cole Center is me.
It's my reputation and my public image.
I stand by its integrity.
Given the lack of specific evidence, I'd say we're done.
Wha?! The engineers who examined this building last night|codn't locate a problem in any section they could inspect.
So the logical conclusion is whatever's|wrong with this building is underground- in the foundation.
Right.
Well, I'm|going to go see they guy who built it.
Guy was a pompous ass.
So my son discovered a|structural flaw in this building? He noted that the building didn't|react to wind as it was designed to.
Well, he didn't know the specific cause.
How could he figure that out? Just by looking at the blueprints? No, or else other people|would have noticed it first.
No, Finn actually went|a lot further.
He he noticed something was wrong|because he was passionate and thorough.
He wanted to understand this building.
And, when something didn't make|sense, he needed to know why.
So you're trying to find exactly|what's wrong with the Cole Center.
It might take me time but, well,we won't stop working on it either.
We know you cut corners on the|construction of the Cole Center foundation.
You're doing a lot of fishing|for a guy who knows something.
Look, whether you cheaped out on the rebar|or you didn't drive the piles deep enough, we're going to find out what you did,|and we're going to nail you for it.
A subpoena for all your records|of the Cole Center foundation.
FBI accountants are going|to go over every page.
We're going to find out what you did.
Knock yourself out.
Hello! We're in here.
Hey, Dad.
All right, FBI accountant went|over a11 of Nevelson's financials and these are all the documents|that relate to the foundation.
Our people could find nothing.
why didn't you have Charlie look|at the records in the first place? The FBI has a team of|excellent forensic accountants.
I know,but it wouldn't be the first|time you find something that they missed.
A lot of mathematicians do|have eidetic numerical memory.
It allows us to recognize numbers when|they've bn repeated or arranged in patterns.
- Why don't you do that, and I'll do the dishes.
|- How's that? I'll give you a hand.
So you mean your best date|ever was with your partner? Dad, please.
No, it's just a simple observation.
I mean, if it was so|great, why did you split up? It was an academy thing.
We got posted to different places.
- We had our careers to concentrate on.
|- So now you're in the same city, same careers Same office.
Which, in our case, can|be a dangerous thing.
Your mother and I met at work.
In the lunch line.
Look, Dad, Terry and I have|to see each other every day, We have to look out for each other.
So that means any trust|issues are already behind you.
- Look, just because you're eager to start dating again|- Eager? Are you kidding me? You saw me last night.
I know, I know, I know.
|I got to get back into it.
Your mother said I should meet new people|after she was gone.
Well, that's right.
That sounds like her.
She made me promise.
I mean, she knew that, without|a push, that I might not do it.
So she pushed.
Just consider this your push.
Now, here is a list of workers|employed in building the foundation.
- And?|- And a lot of them don't exist.
Yeah.
There's a preponderance of fours|and sevens in the union ID numbers, which could be due to accounting codes,|except they show up in the overtime hours- like, 14s and 17s everywhere-|here, here and here- These numbers, they can't be|explained by random occurrence.
Somebody made them up.
They've been fabricated by someone who likes these numbers|- who left behind a pretty obvious pattern.
Obvious to you.
Here's a very interesting thing also.
All the all the workers I've|identified as fake are listed as welders.
Except there aren't any other|welders on the payroll backup.
Yocan't build a|foundation without welders.
Sounds like Nevelson|was using a shadow crew.
So how would that work, Dad? Nonunion laborers, usually illegal aliens.
They|pay them under the table.
See, the contractors would use|them at night to avoid the unions.
So what? Like lower pay,|noovertime, medical benefits? That's right.
But people still get hurt.
And there'll be hospital records.
Nono, ma'am, you're not Listen, I said I'm|only interested in patients without insurance.
Thank you.
Get anything from the ERs? Nope.
A Julio Perez checked in with swollen|corneas.
They seehat with welders, especially less experienced|ones.
No insurance.
When was that? Right, see, that's when the Cole|Center's foundation was being done.
Immigratiorecords shows that he was|deported back to Mexico last year.
Hold on-|Yeah? Uh-huh.
The hospital is saying that|somebody else paid his bill.
Get a name.
Can we get the name|of that person, please? Sir, we're looking|for Keith Babbitt.
We think he worked for|you on the Cole Center.
Keith Babbitt? No, I don't know.
He was a foreman who specializes|in foundation welding.
He paid for a non-union|worker's hospital bill.
I got hundreds of guys on any one job.
I don't ow most of their|names until they screw up.
Babbitt's unionrecords show he|was unemployed for most of '99, but his name shows up in relation|to the Cole Center foundation work.
If you say so.
Okay.
It's the wrong move.
Have a nice day.
If Babbitt oversaw the crew|that built the Cole Center foundation, he might be the key to|solving the whole thing.
David, why don't you|check out back? All right.
Mr.
Babbitt? This is the FBI.
Mr.
Babbitt? Don! Back here! - He's unconscious.
|- Pull him out, pull.
Paramedics are on the way.
It's barely warm, so he|couldn't have been in there long.
He's got a pulse.
Mr.
Babbitt? It's all right, FBI.
You're gonna be fine.
Don, look at his head.
Somebody cold-cocked him|then stuffed him in that car.
This is a staged suicide.
hoes of Finn Montgomery.
You okay? Yeah.
You know who hit you? Uh, Nevelson'soon- Mazzelli.
Bob Mazzelli, FBI.
You're under arrest.
Get your hands up.
Put your hands up and|get up against the stall.
You heard from the hospital? Yeah,Babbitt's agreed to testify that Nevelson hired his non-union|crew to spot weld the foundation points in the Cole Center.
Now, that accounts for|the excessive deflection.
Haybridge's design called for full pen|welds,which are strongerand more stable, but pen welds are also more expensive|and more time consuming than spot welds.
That gives Building and|Safety grounds to evacuate.
What about Finn can we tie this guy to his murder? Technically we don't have a murder.
PD closed it out as a suicide.
There's no conclusive forensic evidence.
All right, well, that's what confessions are for.
Unless you're here to take my|lunch order, don't waste your time.
Well, here's the thing, Bob.
See, you're not all lawyered up,|so you know what that tells me? You want to know what I have.
I'm thinking ham on wheat, honey mustard, fries.
You know what I have? I have you.
I got you for attempted|murder of Keith Babbitt, I got you for complicity in construction|fraud, which is a felony, by the way.
You know what I don't have? I don't have any reason|to keep this case open, you know why? 'Cause you're the fall guy.
And that's exactly what the|people who hired you wanted.
What do you think|they're doing right now? They're planting evidence, they're opening bank|accounts in your name, they're making sure that you|play as the lone operator.
What do you think about that? Well, Bob, it's on you.
You can make it worth my while to|stay interested, maybe cut you a deal, but you're going to have to|tell me who paid for the hits.
Hits? Where'd the "S" come from? Finn Montgomery.
Finn Mont - You mean that college kid?|- Yeah.
Look, at worst, they were talking|about maybe buying him off.
So what happened? You, uh, threw him off a bridge instead.
Well, I'm not saying it|might not have come to that, but he beat us to the punch.
So it comes down to are|you willing toake the fall, or are you going to give|upho ordered the hit? All right, get me a lawyer and the DA, something in writing.
I'll give you everything- except that kid.
That is not on me.
I'll see what I can do, Bob.
Hey, you know he's lying to|you, right?he is lying.
No, I'm not so sure about that, Charlie.
Get back in there, man.
Get on him.
He's not telling you the truth.
Look, relax, all right? Just relax, please.
Finn Montgomery's suicide note.
He mailed it to his parents|the night before his death.
It took this long to get|forwarded to him in L.
A.
Were you were able to authenticate it? Yeah, it's Finn's handwriting.
It iterates all the pressures- the girlfriend breakingup|with him,the thesis, his inability to convince|anybody of the Cole nter's flaws.
That doesn't make sense.
He|was right about the building.
In this circumstance,being right might have|been the crisis point that tipped him to suicide.
Looks like he thought this was the only way to get|anyone to take a serious look at the Cole Center.
Charlie, I'm sorry.
I mean, he was smart, but he was just a kid who wasn't strong|enough to deal with this period in his life.
Okay, now we deal with|the crimes that did occur.
We've got fraud and attempted murder.
All right, well, call the DA.
|As soon as I get Mazzel to talk, we're going to find out how high this thing goes,|and I think it's all the way up to Elliot Cole.
How'd you know I was here? - We didn't.
|- Honey, who's there? FBI.
You're under arrest.
- Terry,you got her?|- Yeah.
Nevelson and Mazzelli gave you up.
"Gave you up?" What for? Rachel and your contractor hired a|non-union crew to do the foundation welds.
You paid the full price They got $20 million and you got a|very unsafe building on your hands.
I oversaw every detail of the|construction of that building.
That include payment authorizations, or|did you rely on her about what to sign? Come on,let's go.
We've been together three years.
I gave you this apartment, everything you asked for.
I asked you to divorce your wife.
- We discussed this.
|- Oh, yeah,the pre-nup.
I have nothing more to say.
They will construct the|tuned mass damper on the roof.
This is a scale model.
On the real one, this block of concrete will|weigh about 300 tons or so, and it will rest on a thin layer of oil.
When the wind pushes the building, the block's inertia will hold it in place,|even as the building slides under it.
So the damper acts as a counterweight|to the movement of the building.
It's amazing.
So simple.
Finn's insight will keep|a lot of people safe, so Elliot Cole has agreed with me to|dedicate this structure in his name.
You know, in Finn's letter,he said that|part of the reason that he was that he felt nobody understood him.
He, uh, he said he felt so alone.
What we do can certainly|be lonely sometimes.
That's why it's so imptant that you|understood what he was trying to accomplish.
You spoke for our son, Professor Epps.
There's no way we can|begin to thank you for that.
So I am getting right|back on that horse.
Not that this lady is|anything like a horse, she's really quite attractive.
So it's not a blind date? No, it'she butcher that sold me the duck.
- No!|- Yeah, she's very nice.
And she really knows her waterfowl.
Right.
Charlie.
Charlie.
This is not the brilliant thought|brood.
This is the other brood.
You all right, Charlie? You knew it was a suicide.
No, look, I said from the get-go I|didn't know,but I did suspect.
Despite all the variables|and the inconclusive autopsy, - and the layers of crime that were uncovered?|- The fact that the kid exhibited suicidal behavior and then he did it.
It's Occam's Razor, you know?I mean, the simplest|answer is usually the right one.
Occam's Razor? What? I read a book every now and then.
Occam was a philosopher,|he wasn't a mathematician.
And what he actually said was that you|shouldn't make more assumptions than needed.
It's the basis of|methodological reductionism.
Any given data set, there are an infinite number of|possible hypothesis and conclusions,
"Boring.
" Me? "Intellectually inaccessible" I thought we cameup on this hike to get|your mind off of this ridiculous thing.
I mean, one student even said I'm|out of touch with cutting-edgehinking in multidimensional theory.
That one alone kept me up at night.
Everybody gets bad evaluations|now and then.
Come on! Yeah, yeah, says the professor who|never receed anything less than a rave.
As with any large group, there are|responses that cover the entire spectrum.
I once had a girl in my combinatronics seminar tell|me that I was disorganized and I talked too fast.
That's an accurate|observation, actually.
But, generally speaking, I|mean, your students love you, whereas mine say my|classes put them to sleep.
You're an exceptional professor.
I shld know,I took classes from you.
Yeah, but you were an|exceptional young mind.
Perhaps I've lost my ability to|reach the more typical student.
- Hey, Professor Fleinhardt.
|- Hey, how's it How's it How's it How-how you How you How you See, we're not even in class, and|still my students run away from me.
I don't think that's it.
Right They're right down this way.
Come on.
Hurry, man.
So who do we have here? Finn Montgomery.
Male,|white, 21.
CalSci student I.
D.
No way! It is Finn Montgomery! He jumped.
Professor, my name isn't Montgomery.
Uh Sadly, it happens all the time.
Any witnesses? Not for the launch.
A|couple after the landing.
Textbook header, probable suicide.
This is terrible.
I|- I can really use your advice on some calculations in my engineering thesis.
Well, he could have stepped|off the brid instead of jumping.
Yeah, but there are other factors.
You know, while gravity pulled him down, the|wind would have pushed him away from the bridge.
Well, look, there'not a lot of wind around|here.
How much effect would that have? Finn was wearing a windbreaker.
It's nonpermeable.
It offers an increased surface area for the|wind to act upon, especially if he was moving.
But if we look at the point of|impact, that's not what we see.
Wind and gravity are constant,|leaving only the surface area.
Somehow, that was reduced.
What are you saying, he was unconscious? Or dead already.
What's the difference between where he should have|landed,if it was a suicide, and where he landed? A foot to 18 inches.
A foot?! Outside the margin of error.
Listen, unless there is a|clear and compelli reason, I can't get the FBI to interfere in local|investigation because my brother has a theory.
That's not the way it works.
There are indications that Finn|Montgomery did not jump off this bridge.
Yeah, and to me, there's indications|this is not just about physics.
Please, if you can just|take a quick look, uh Look, everything I told you|about the fall still holds up.
But, yeah, Finn Montgomery|was in my office two days ago.
We all use math every day to forecast weather to tell time to handle money We also use math to analyze crime reveal patterns predict behavior Using numbers, we can solve|the biggest mysteries we know.
Look, Charlie, this is the kind|of information I need up front.
If the kid wasn't one of your students,|then why did he come and seeou? CalScis a small university.
It's a tight community.
Students often consult professors|outside of their department.
He never tried to contact|you again- e-mail or? Maybe I was too - unapproachable, I|- I don't know.
Yeah, well, maybe it had|nothing to do with you.
But what if he was trying|to tell me something? All right, look, I'll|make some phone calls.
But the FBI can't just insert|themselves in these kind of things.
If the police closed the case, they|might not mind me looking around.
I understand, and thank you.
I|- I really appreciate it.
I mean, I'm not convinced this is|anything more than what it looks like.
You never mentioned that|you had a Fed for a brother.
A "Fed"? I didn't think it'd be much of|a selling point with you, Eva.
My views on government intrusion|into academia are rather firm.
Oh, yeah? Would that be too firm|to talk about Finn Montgomery? His suicide or the Malone scandal? Scandal? Yeah, another student, Brian Malone, was expelled two|weeks ago for falsifying data in a lab result, right? Finn filed the honor code violations|that led to Brian's expulsion.
Did they get into any|confrontation over that? Violence isn't an automatic|response to conflict, Agent Epps.
No, but it's a popular one, Ms.
Salton.
Eva, what was Finn's thesis topic? It was an engineer's pspective on|the work of architect Gaar Haybridge.
He designed the Cole Center downtown.
Right, he also did e Keyerleber Annex.
Something very inviting about|th entrance, don't you think? Yes, there is.
Finn was an intense kid.
He was obsessive about researching his|thesis, but he was falling behind schedule.
When you say intense, you mean|intense enough to kill himself? All right, wl I'd like to take a look at his research.
Here is the key to his|office in the library.
Thanks for your|cooperation, Mrs.
Salton.
Anytime, Fed.
Thanks, Eva.
"Keyerleber Annex"? Yeah, well, I was|actually staking out a bank for three weeks right across the street and they had|a plaque that described its architectural significance.
Look, I think we should check|out this kid's work, all right? You think his research has|some bearing on his death? Sure.
If he was hitting dead ends, or he|was late on his thesis, I mean, it might.
Excuse me.
Uh, can we help you? I'm a professor in the math department, Charlie Epps.
I'm really just so sorry for your loss.
You just need to excuse me.
Honey Are you, uh Were you one of Finn's teachers? No, I wasn't.
He had come to me fosome help with some|calculations that he was doing for his thesis.
That thesis- he was under a lot of pressure|trying to get that done.
He sounded tired, frustrated- that people didn't understand his work.
I didn't understand it either.
He was speaking a different language.
Maybe if I'd slowed down,|taken more time with him These are beautiful|sketches, Mr.
Montgomery.
They're all Haybridge buildings.
Finn said the designs were perfect.
He could see so much|more than I ever could.
Mr.
Montgomery, would you mind if I, um, looked over so of Finn's research?|Because he asked me for help on his thesis.
When you're done, would you would you walk me through it? If I can understand my son's life a little bit|better, I mighbe able to understand why he died.
I mean, I really don't|think it's murder, but Charlie's got something stuck in|his craw and he's done right by us, so David and I will drop by the medical|examiner's, see what he has to say.
It's got to be on the side, right? If it weren't my brother, I'd never|hear the end of it.
I'd stay away.
Okay And I can check out the kid's|bio for signs he was depressed.
Well, on behalf of the|Brothers Epps, I thank you.
I'll talk to you later.
You know, you didn't|have to come with me.
It's your first jumper|- they can be a little intense.
So, what's the FBI doing,|nosing around a probable suicide? Agent Epps has a personal|connection to the case.
As you can see, victim suffered|extensive facial trauma.
Broken jaw, busted zygomatic arch, typicawith face-first falls.
Skull damage is extensive.
Cause of death was impact from the fall.
Any indication that he was attacked|or knocked unconscious prior to falng? If anything happened to his face,|it would be impossible to tell.
But none of his other injuries|suggest an altercation or struggle.
You okay? Yeah.
John, what's, what's our bottom line? Odds are, this is a suicide.
But I can't rule out|completely a homicide.
Thank you.
Come on, let's go.
I understand Finn got|you kicked out of here? Montgomery could've come to me, given me a chance to|redo the experiment.
I would have done that.
And, instead, he gets you booted out of|school.
Boy, I know how that'd make me feel.
I'm not saying I didn't fantasize|about throwing him off a bridge.
His girlfriend dumped him a|couple weeks ago, you know.
And he was always stressing|out about his thesis.
That's normal, isn't it? Finn took it to the next level.
Brian, where were you last night? Friends came by to help me pack.
Crashed around 6:00|a.
m.
Am I a murr suspect? That's actually kind of cool.
That's funny.
I'm going to need the names numbers of your friends.
Dad what are you doing here? I called|you; you hadn't called me back.
I would've entually.
Is everything okay? Yeah, yeah, sure.
I need|you to come to dinner at the house on Wednesday.
um I have a date.
Oh, yeah, a date? Hey,|well, that's good.
With who? Oh, someone Art knows from yoga.
Yeah, her name's Jill.
He says she's smart,|she's funny and, uh, quite flexible.
So I we're having dinner at the|house and I would like you to be there.
Wow, hey, no.
Just take her|somewhere low-key.
You'll be fine.
Look, it's my first date in over 35 years.
|I would like "memorae" instead of "low-key.
" "Low-key" and "memorable"|aren't mutually exclusive.
You know what my favorite date ever|was? Peeroni pizza in a Laundromat.
Yes, which explains the conspicuous|absence of grandchildren.
So, Wednesda 7:30.
Bring a date? I can't.
Dad, I'm busy, and I don't anticipate|meeting anyone between now and then either.
No, I just want to make it|a couples thing, you know.
Looking like, seeming like Hi.
Hey.
Mr.
Epps.
Good to see you.
You, too.
You'll think of something.
Give me a forensic psychologist's|take on Finn Montgomery.
He went to university mental health four times|during the past two months for major depression.
Insurance records show he ran out of|his anti-depressant three weeks ago never got a refill.
All right, so he breaks|up with his girlfriend, he falls behind on his work,|he stops taking the meds.
>From a forensic psychologist's|point of view, it is what it is.
It is what it is.
Oh, hey, Charlie.
Here you are.
Hey, I'm going through Finn's research.
|He's made some very interesting observations.
May I show you? I'm sorry.
I just came by|to tell you we cannot take this any further.
I mean, to us, it's clearly a suicide.
No, I don't think so.
I know you don't want to think so, but listen, if you just|step back from your personal feelings, I think you'll see Look, I'm not denying that I|feel some component of guilt.
But I've made these adjustments based|solely on the circumstances involved.
This kid had some|serious problems, okay? A student conference was|not going to save his life.
Don't assume I'm being|so irrational, you know? Just because I'm not as detached|as you are.
Hey, hold it.
Look, you got no idea the daily|horrors my job serves up to me.
Detached.
yeah, you're right, I'm|detached.
That's how I function.
I'm sorry, I know, I know.
No, you don't know.
Look,|Charlie, I'm glad you don't know.
Terry and David gave you a day.
Okay,I pulled some favors for you.
These people work hard.
I can't|spend any more resources on this.
You won't, you mean.
You|won't Right, I won't.
Larry.
Hey, Don, how's it? Good.
Okay.
Something I can help you with? Well, it's evident Finn was obsessed with the design and|construction of the Cole Center Building.
There was some problem here|that he was trying to solve, that he needed my help with.
So we must infer that it involves math.
Oh if I'd given him five minutes well, or ten or a week.
It might've made all the difference|in the world or none at all.
You know, Charlie, look at this way you've got Einstein, dead for decades Descartes|- centuries.
A scholar's research continues|speak long after he's gone.
And somewhere, in all of this, Finn Montgomery's going to|find a way to talk to you.
Well, let's see, he's got engineering plans, soil reports, inspection updats.
Meteorological data.
Well, how does that relate to a thesis on|Gaar Haybridge and the Cole Center Building? The same math used in aeronautical design and fluid|dynamics also predicts how a building behaves in wind.
And he was interested in knowing how the building|would react to different weather conditions.
Suggests that he was|investigating a structural issue.
I need to check out the|Cole Center in person.
Excuse me.
What are you doing? A simple experiment.
It's a pendulum.
Sir, you and the pendulum need to leave.
Okay.
It drew an ellipse.
Now.
On paper, the design's sound.
>From the simple|experiments I carried out, I can tell you that the|construction of the Cole Center does not match these plans- that in fact,the building|experiences excessive wind deflection.
For the non-engineers here? Deflection? Uh, the degree to which a vertical|line bends when force is applied.
A stalk of wheat deflects a lot.
An oak tree much less so.
Bottom line me.
Is the building unsafe? I'd need to run some|simulations, I need to find out, you know, what are we talking about.
|Are we talking abo cracked plaster or something way more serious? Finn believed something|was seriously wrong with this building, but|he didn't know what it was.
I have to answer that question for him.
The data I collected yesteay showed me that the Cole|Center deflects six degrees in 30-mile-per-hour winds, so I've programmed this|model to do exactly the same.
It won't pinpoint a specific|structural problem But it'll show how a building that deflects that much|will react under different types of stresses.
That's right.
If Charlie's right, and the Cole Center|wasn't built according to its plans Someone made a legitimate mistake or committed fraud, which makeFinn|a potential whistle-blower, and that exposes the Cole to|millions in damages and repairs.
Not to mention a lot of bad|publicity for the building and everyone whose name is on it|- architect, contractor Owner.
Finn Montgomery's phone records have him|calling Elliot Cole's office several times.
As well as Haybridge, the|architect, and Nevelson Ctracting.
We have motive and suspects.
Yeah, what we don't have|is evidence of a homicide.
I was finishing up the|Montgomery autopsy and found this.
Wasn't here before.
when the heart stops, so does the|flow of blood to broken vessels.
But fluids thinner than blood keep moving, very slowly.
As a result, injuries incurred just pri to death|take at least 24 hours for e bruising to occur.
So Finn Montgomery was injured|before he fell off that bridge.
This could be a defensive wound from an object|like a pipe.
Someone swung at his head He put up his arm to block it maybe.
Of course, it could|have been self-inflicted.
Maybe while he was climbing over the rail,|or maybe he struck s arm on the way down.
Those are two very|different "could haves.
" Get me the object used.
I might be able to match|it back to the injury.
Okay.
Mr.
Nevelson, we'd like to talk|to you about Finn Montgomery.
He called you about structural|problems with the Cole Center.
If I answered the phone for every|amateur architect and random complaint, nothing would ever get built.
Besides, I had enough trouble|with the owner on that build; I wanted to move on.
Elliot Cole has a reputation|as a micromanager, right? Yeah.
That's how I knew|the kid was blowing smoke.
Cole Center passed every inspection.
Cole wouldn't have anything less.
FBI! What'd we do wrong this time? What did you do wrong last time? This is Bob Mazzelli.
Chief of Security.
Are you aware that even without|talking about inspections, the Cole Center doesn't match|plans on file with the city.
I don't know anything about that, but my guys did|the work exactly the way they were supposed to.
In '94, the city attorney investigated your company|for a case involving stolen construction materials.
They investigated seven companies, hon.
Ours wasn't one of the|two that got indicted.
If you're hang problems with the Cole Center, I think|you have to look for the lunatic that designed it- the architect|- Haybridge.
Okay.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Is it just me, or you get the feeling|that security guy kind of liked you? Cat and dog thing.
Some guys|like women who can handcuff them.
Can't blame him for that.
Hey what are you doing for dinner tonight?|My dad's cooking for his friend Jill.
What, you mean like, a double date? No, no, I mean, he'd be on a date.
You'd just be doing me a favor.
We can talk about work.
Nice to see your social|skills are as sharp as ever.
Terry, I'm just trying to be up-front.
I don't want there to be any weirdness.
You know, given our history.
No weirdness, Don.
Just history.
That a "yes"? Maybe.
If I let you bring your cuffs? Well, in that case Mr.
Haybridge,were you contacted about|possible problems with the Cole Center? Yes, spoke with a Mr.
Montgomery.
I told him he was wrong.
The Cole Center wouldn't be the first of|your designs to have structural issues.
- The concert hall in Seattle|- Had a minor problem.
A quickly remedied minor problem.
We|experimented with thin concrete flooring, it didn't work out.
I might also add the financiers only noticed|the sagging when I brought it to their attention.
Great.
Do any experimenting|with the Cole Center? No.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have|clients waiting ck at the office.
Mr.
Haybridge, please don't|make me follow you to your office and question you about fraud and|possible murder in front of your clients.
Look, the Cole Center is my signature building.
|But Cole froze me out after the design phase.
Why would he do that? Because I'm Gaar Haybridge, and my buildings are famous|because they're designed by me.
Elliot Cole wanted to be the|big man behind the Cole Center.
You think he might have cut any corners, authorized any changes that could've|compromised the structure's integrity? Not knowingly.
Cole expects that|building to last forever as a monument to himself.
Hi, I'm Rachel.
Mr.
Cole will be with|you in a minute.
You can follow me.
He's just completed a|call.
Would you like a seat? Listen Hi.
Hi.
you're looking at equity|of about $200 million.
Because I know everything, Steven.
Well, check your numbers|and we'll talk tomorrow.
Thank you.
Sorry about that.
How can I help you? We're looking into theeath of a young|CalSci student named Finn Montgomery.
Ever try a standing desk? It's fantastic.
You know, Mozart used one.
Uh, Montgomery The engineering student who thought there|was something wrong with the building.
We directed his calls|to the PR Department.
Is this the Michaelson agreement? I don't see the changes I asked for.
Yes, they're listed under Addendum C.
Oh.
He may have actually discovered|a structural flaw in the building.
A student found something that the architect, the|project engineer,three dozen city inspectors,and I missed? Yes.
It might explain why there's evidence|Montgomery may have been murdered.
Oh, I see.
So we're talking conspiracy here.
Here you go.
Thank you.
Well, you did put $300 million of your|own money into the building.
Is that coect? Yes.
And the overruns forced|you into bankruptcy? Yes, and the success of this building got me out of bankruptcy and into a very profitable|phase of my career.
Right.
But during a|non-profitable phase, it might make sense for you to do|everything to stop hemorrhaging cash, right? I love spending money.
I love making money.
Taking risks comes with|the territory on both.
So, please, do your due diligence,send|in an inspection team.
This building is as safe as kittens.
Thank you for your time.
Oh, you're welcome.
Uh and if I did cut corners- if I had compromised the safety|of this building in any way- would I have my office in it? We'll be in touch.
Let's try an earthquake|th a magnitude of 8.
2.
A minor structural warning,but, seismically, the building appears solid.
I owe it to Find to find out|what's wrong with this building.
Let's see how it does in high winds.
You know, when I was|working as a city planner, I saw every shortcut in the books.
You know, kickbacks, overbilling, pulling rebar from one job and|trying to use it in another.
Oh sorry.
I make Cole for a|narcissist,not a sociopath.
I get the feeling he's only interested|in victories he can brag about.
Oh, my God! The bread|in the oven.
I forgot.
Relax.
I got it.
Just relax.
I'm just a little nervous.
Don't worry.
Everything looks wonderful.
In fact, your|son could learn a few things from you.
You know where we|went on our first date? All right, all right, all right.
A Laundromat.
Dinner was pizza.
A little professionalism, - You don't say?please.
All right?|- Let's just Oh, interesting.
The buildingis within all required|limits for earthquakes and wind.
And the tests seem fairly conclusive.
I feel like we're we're missing something.
Whatever Finn uncovered must|have been something significant.
Charles, can I tell you a story? Yes, please.
As long as it's not another parable|from the lives of the great mathematicians.
No.
This is about a sophomore student I once had|- Kevin Flannermans.
This was 20 years ago.
Kevin hanged himself.
Right.
Well, Finn didn't kill himself.
Well, but, maybe just the possibility that he did|- maybe that is the variable that you are disallowing from the problem.
He came to me with|an important question.
I owe him an answer.
Okay, well, you've geniously sidestepped my point.
You know, there are a few rare wind events that we haven't tested.
I'm sorry.
Actually, talking about|hobbies is a smart move.
I'm supposed to know Jill's|mother died in a skiing accident? How?! She's stopped crying.
It's funny how Charlie gets stuck|at the office at all the right times.
Okay.
We'll havea good meal, some nice wine and some|pleasant conversation.
Everything will be fine.
Just tell me you asked|if she eats everything.
She's not a vegetarian.
I asked.
What do you think I am? Stupid? I sure hope you like duck.
of course I do.
I have two|- Paddles and Mr.
Waddlesworth.
Oh, my God! I don't eat it.
i'm|Sorry.
I didn't know.
I'll take it away.
Yeah? Right.
Okay, Okay right.
Right.
Yep.
We're on our way.
Yep.
Dad, sorry.
We got to go.
Sure.
Go ahead.
Couldn't get any worse.
Listen.
Alcohol.
lots of alcohol.
For who? The problem is wind.
Wouldn't they have already|tested for stability in winds? Engineers test structural|response to gusts along two axes: north to south and east to west.
And, in those cases, a single side supported|by two corners bears the brunt of the wind load.
Think of a straight-on|wind as two cars colliding.
In contrast-|excuse me- quartering winds hit|a building at an angle, exerting pressure on two sides|anchored by a single corner.
Imagine a car getting hit from the|back and the side simultaneously.
Can those winds cause structural issues? Our tests show that the Cole Center is sound for|head-on winds of up to 90 miles per hour.
But here's what happens|with quartering winds as low as 60 miles per hour.
First, the steel frame bends|beyond its limits, and stays bent.
Then this strained steel|hardens and becomes brittle.
Under continuing stress, this steel will|fracture, causing complete structural collapse.
Finn Montgomery found the problem in the building's|deflection.
He suspected the effects would be serious.
I could really use your advice on some|calculations in my engineering thesis.
He was right.
And he may have paid with his life.
Our simulation demonstrate that the Cole Center could|experience failure in a 60 mile-per-hour quartering wind.
Now, as the head of the|Department of Building and Safety, you've got to realize what a huge, imminent risk|that poses when the building is filled with people.
Are you a structural engineer? Hmm? No.
An expert in wind dynamics? He is a professor of|applied mathematics.
He's talking theory and supposition.
If any of this goes public, I will sue the FBI for slander.
Professor Epps, I respect your background|and reputation, but I can't make a decision Well, do me a favor,|and forget my reputation.
Consider what happened|in Kansas City.
In 1981, The Hyatt Regency walkway|collapsed.
Killed 114 people.
In Hartford, in 1978, - the structure of a sports arena failed.
|- Those volved fraud and malfeasance.
Serious building flaws were|found in each of those cases.
Can you connect the Cole Center's|deflection to a specific structural issue? Because of the potential|risk of casualties, we think it's something you|should take very seriously.
You want to ruin my|building's reputation? We want to save lives.
Render it worthless|on an obscure and nonspecific theory? Look, I can't point to a|specific problem at this time, but let me tell you something.
|The evidence is there.
Mr.
Cole, you're going to have to leave now if|you're going to make your board meeting.
Thank you.
Gentlemen, the Cole Center is me.
It's my reputation and my public image.
I stand by its integrity.
Given the lack of specific evidence, I'd say we're done.
Wha?! The engineers who examined this building last night|codn't locate a problem in any section they could inspect.
So the logical conclusion is whatever's|wrong with this building is underground- in the foundation.
Right.
Well, I'm|going to go see they guy who built it.
Guy was a pompous ass.
So my son discovered a|structural flaw in this building? He noted that the building didn't|react to wind as it was designed to.
Well, he didn't know the specific cause.
How could he figure that out? Just by looking at the blueprints? No, or else other people|would have noticed it first.
No, Finn actually went|a lot further.
He he noticed something was wrong|because he was passionate and thorough.
He wanted to understand this building.
And, when something didn't make|sense, he needed to know why.
So you're trying to find exactly|what's wrong with the Cole Center.
It might take me time but, well,we won't stop working on it either.
We know you cut corners on the|construction of the Cole Center foundation.
You're doing a lot of fishing|for a guy who knows something.
Look, whether you cheaped out on the rebar|or you didn't drive the piles deep enough, we're going to find out what you did,|and we're going to nail you for it.
A subpoena for all your records|of the Cole Center foundation.
FBI accountants are going|to go over every page.
We're going to find out what you did.
Knock yourself out.
Hello! We're in here.
Hey, Dad.
All right, FBI accountant went|over a11 of Nevelson's financials and these are all the documents|that relate to the foundation.
Our people could find nothing.
why didn't you have Charlie look|at the records in the first place? The FBI has a team of|excellent forensic accountants.
I know,but it wouldn't be the first|time you find something that they missed.
A lot of mathematicians do|have eidetic numerical memory.
It allows us to recognize numbers when|they've bn repeated or arranged in patterns.
- Why don't you do that, and I'll do the dishes.
|- How's that? I'll give you a hand.
So you mean your best date|ever was with your partner? Dad, please.
No, it's just a simple observation.
I mean, if it was so|great, why did you split up? It was an academy thing.
We got posted to different places.
- We had our careers to concentrate on.
|- So now you're in the same city, same careers Same office.
Which, in our case, can|be a dangerous thing.
Your mother and I met at work.
In the lunch line.
Look, Dad, Terry and I have|to see each other every day, We have to look out for each other.
So that means any trust|issues are already behind you.
- Look, just because you're eager to start dating again|- Eager? Are you kidding me? You saw me last night.
I know, I know, I know.
|I got to get back into it.
Your mother said I should meet new people|after she was gone.
Well, that's right.
That sounds like her.
She made me promise.
I mean, she knew that, without|a push, that I might not do it.
So she pushed.
Just consider this your push.
Now, here is a list of workers|employed in building the foundation.
- And?|- And a lot of them don't exist.
Yeah.
There's a preponderance of fours|and sevens in the union ID numbers, which could be due to accounting codes,|except they show up in the overtime hours- like, 14s and 17s everywhere-|here, here and here- These numbers, they can't be|explained by random occurrence.
Somebody made them up.
They've been fabricated by someone who likes these numbers|- who left behind a pretty obvious pattern.
Obvious to you.
Here's a very interesting thing also.
All the all the workers I've|identified as fake are listed as welders.
Except there aren't any other|welders on the payroll backup.
Yocan't build a|foundation without welders.
Sounds like Nevelson|was using a shadow crew.
So how would that work, Dad? Nonunion laborers, usually illegal aliens.
They|pay them under the table.
See, the contractors would use|them at night to avoid the unions.
So what? Like lower pay,|noovertime, medical benefits? That's right.
But people still get hurt.
And there'll be hospital records.
Nono, ma'am, you're not Listen, I said I'm|only interested in patients without insurance.
Thank you.
Get anything from the ERs? Nope.
A Julio Perez checked in with swollen|corneas.
They seehat with welders, especially less experienced|ones.
No insurance.
When was that? Right, see, that's when the Cole|Center's foundation was being done.
Immigratiorecords shows that he was|deported back to Mexico last year.
Hold on-|Yeah? Uh-huh.
The hospital is saying that|somebody else paid his bill.
Get a name.
Can we get the name|of that person, please? Sir, we're looking|for Keith Babbitt.
We think he worked for|you on the Cole Center.
Keith Babbitt? No, I don't know.
He was a foreman who specializes|in foundation welding.
He paid for a non-union|worker's hospital bill.
I got hundreds of guys on any one job.
I don't ow most of their|names until they screw up.
Babbitt's unionrecords show he|was unemployed for most of '99, but his name shows up in relation|to the Cole Center foundation work.
If you say so.
Okay.
It's the wrong move.
Have a nice day.
If Babbitt oversaw the crew|that built the Cole Center foundation, he might be the key to|solving the whole thing.
David, why don't you|check out back? All right.
Mr.
Babbitt? This is the FBI.
Mr.
Babbitt? Don! Back here! - He's unconscious.
|- Pull him out, pull.
Paramedics are on the way.
It's barely warm, so he|couldn't have been in there long.
He's got a pulse.
Mr.
Babbitt? It's all right, FBI.
You're gonna be fine.
Don, look at his head.
Somebody cold-cocked him|then stuffed him in that car.
This is a staged suicide.
hoes of Finn Montgomery.
You okay? Yeah.
You know who hit you? Uh, Nevelson'soon- Mazzelli.
Bob Mazzelli, FBI.
You're under arrest.
Get your hands up.
Put your hands up and|get up against the stall.
You heard from the hospital? Yeah,Babbitt's agreed to testify that Nevelson hired his non-union|crew to spot weld the foundation points in the Cole Center.
Now, that accounts for|the excessive deflection.
Haybridge's design called for full pen|welds,which are strongerand more stable, but pen welds are also more expensive|and more time consuming than spot welds.
That gives Building and|Safety grounds to evacuate.
What about Finn can we tie this guy to his murder? Technically we don't have a murder.
PD closed it out as a suicide.
There's no conclusive forensic evidence.
All right, well, that's what confessions are for.
Unless you're here to take my|lunch order, don't waste your time.
Well, here's the thing, Bob.
See, you're not all lawyered up,|so you know what that tells me? You want to know what I have.
I'm thinking ham on wheat, honey mustard, fries.
You know what I have? I have you.
I got you for attempted|murder of Keith Babbitt, I got you for complicity in construction|fraud, which is a felony, by the way.
You know what I don't have? I don't have any reason|to keep this case open, you know why? 'Cause you're the fall guy.
And that's exactly what the|people who hired you wanted.
What do you think|they're doing right now? They're planting evidence, they're opening bank|accounts in your name, they're making sure that you|play as the lone operator.
What do you think about that? Well, Bob, it's on you.
You can make it worth my while to|stay interested, maybe cut you a deal, but you're going to have to|tell me who paid for the hits.
Hits? Where'd the "S" come from? Finn Montgomery.
Finn Mont - You mean that college kid?|- Yeah.
Look, at worst, they were talking|about maybe buying him off.
So what happened? You, uh, threw him off a bridge instead.
Well, I'm not saying it|might not have come to that, but he beat us to the punch.
So it comes down to are|you willing toake the fall, or are you going to give|upho ordered the hit? All right, get me a lawyer and the DA, something in writing.
I'll give you everything- except that kid.
That is not on me.
I'll see what I can do, Bob.
Hey, you know he's lying to|you, right?he is lying.
No, I'm not so sure about that, Charlie.
Get back in there, man.
Get on him.
He's not telling you the truth.
Look, relax, all right? Just relax, please.
Finn Montgomery's suicide note.
He mailed it to his parents|the night before his death.
It took this long to get|forwarded to him in L.
A.
Were you were able to authenticate it? Yeah, it's Finn's handwriting.
It iterates all the pressures- the girlfriend breakingup|with him,the thesis, his inability to convince|anybody of the Cole nter's flaws.
That doesn't make sense.
He|was right about the building.
In this circumstance,being right might have|been the crisis point that tipped him to suicide.
Looks like he thought this was the only way to get|anyone to take a serious look at the Cole Center.
Charlie, I'm sorry.
I mean, he was smart, but he was just a kid who wasn't strong|enough to deal with this period in his life.
Okay, now we deal with|the crimes that did occur.
We've got fraud and attempted murder.
All right, well, call the DA.
|As soon as I get Mazzel to talk, we're going to find out how high this thing goes,|and I think it's all the way up to Elliot Cole.
How'd you know I was here? - We didn't.
|- Honey, who's there? FBI.
You're under arrest.
- Terry,you got her?|- Yeah.
Nevelson and Mazzelli gave you up.
"Gave you up?" What for? Rachel and your contractor hired a|non-union crew to do the foundation welds.
You paid the full price They got $20 million and you got a|very unsafe building on your hands.
I oversaw every detail of the|construction of that building.
That include payment authorizations, or|did you rely on her about what to sign? Come on,let's go.
We've been together three years.
I gave you this apartment, everything you asked for.
I asked you to divorce your wife.
- We discussed this.
|- Oh, yeah,the pre-nup.
I have nothing more to say.
They will construct the|tuned mass damper on the roof.
This is a scale model.
On the real one, this block of concrete will|weigh about 300 tons or so, and it will rest on a thin layer of oil.
When the wind pushes the building, the block's inertia will hold it in place,|even as the building slides under it.
So the damper acts as a counterweight|to the movement of the building.
It's amazing.
So simple.
Finn's insight will keep|a lot of people safe, so Elliot Cole has agreed with me to|dedicate this structure in his name.
You know, in Finn's letter,he said that|part of the reason that he was that he felt nobody understood him.
He, uh, he said he felt so alone.
What we do can certainly|be lonely sometimes.
That's why it's so imptant that you|understood what he was trying to accomplish.
You spoke for our son, Professor Epps.
There's no way we can|begin to thank you for that.
So I am getting right|back on that horse.
Not that this lady is|anything like a horse, she's really quite attractive.
So it's not a blind date? No, it'she butcher that sold me the duck.
- No!|- Yeah, she's very nice.
And she really knows her waterfowl.
Right.
Charlie.
Charlie.
This is not the brilliant thought|brood.
This is the other brood.
You all right, Charlie? You knew it was a suicide.
No, look, I said from the get-go I|didn't know,but I did suspect.
Despite all the variables|and the inconclusive autopsy, - and the layers of crime that were uncovered?|- The fact that the kid exhibited suicidal behavior and then he did it.
It's Occam's Razor, you know?I mean, the simplest|answer is usually the right one.
Occam's Razor? What? I read a book every now and then.
Occam was a philosopher,|he wasn't a mathematician.
And what he actually said was that you|shouldn't make more assumptions than needed.
It's the basis of|methodological reductionism.
Any given data set, there are an infinite number of|possible hypothesis and conclusions,