Fairly Legal s01e06 Episode Script
Believers
I can't talk right now Leo, I'm running late.
Yeah, damn right you are.
Justin? My caller ID said Wait are you calli Why Are you calling me from Leo's phone? Because you've got a conference room full of A.
D.
A.
s waiting for you, ready for some continuing legal education, remember? No, no, no, no, no.
The C.
L.
E.
Seminar isn't until this afternoon.
- Yeah, well, we moved it up.
- When? All right, just put-- put Leo on the phone, please.
Sent you an email.
He sent you an email.
Okay, uh, look.
Justin, I am going into this meeting right now.
Marsden Technologies.
It is super important, and I-I'm really, really sorry.
Listen, we are taking time out of our schedules to come to your office to listen to your seminar on the wonders of mediation.
And to drink all the coffee and eat all the black and white cookies.
That's a very needy group.
Can we-- can we just reschedule? - Kate.
- I promise you.
I'm gonna give you the best seminar you have ever heard on alternative dispute mediation, and you are each gonna get three C.
L.
E.
credits.
- You can't just-- - Six.
Did I say three? I totally meant six.
Okay, fine.
Fine.
Uh, Friday at 3:00.
I'll move the staff meeting.
Yes, Friday at 3:00.
I'll be there.
My schedule is open.
I have nothing.
I'm all yours.
No, she's got an appointment.
Don't miss it.
Unbelievable.
Nobody listens.
- John.
- Ms.
Reed.
Hi.
Thanks for coming on such short notice.
Oh, sure.
Um, I'm just playing catch-up here, though.
What exactly is the 451? The 451 is basically the holy grail of e-readers.
It's thin, flexible, waterproof, and has a very long battery life.
Can we get a security pass, please? Then why are you firing the guy who invented it? Marcus is a brilliant kid.
He created the 451 in his garage.
Thank you.
Yeah, we're introducing it to the world at the Consumer Electronics Show in three weeks.
Everybody's been working horrendous hours trying to get ready for this show, except Marcus.
He's been missing meetings, going AWOL for days at a time.
He's got the prototype, and he hasn't even let me see it for a week.
So you want me to settle out the contract and get the prototype back? Exactly.
This way.
Marcus.
- Who's she? - Hi.
My name is Kate Reed.
I'm a mediator.
Sit.
Marcus, I'm here to walk you through your termination.
Termination? You're firing me? I am so sorry, but you're no longer an employee of Marsden Technologies.
Now, I want to walk you through your contract and make sure that you get everything that you are entitled to.
First, I want the 451 prototype, and I want it now.
John, let's just talk for a minute.
No, he carries it around in that little backpack of his, like he owns it.
The rest of us need to work on it, too.
Look, I'm just working out the last few bugs.
You've had your chance.
Time's up.
Marcus.
I'm here to make sure that you are treated fairly.
Yeah, right.
Now, uh, when you signed the employee agreement-- Marcus.
Marcus! This is John Marsden.
Stop Marcus at the front desk.
Do not let him leave this building.
What's that? Fire door.
Marcus! - Gimme the prototype.
- What are you doing? - It's not yours! - Oh, yes it is.
Because you have a piece of paper that says that? - Hold on, all right, John? - You signed over the rights.
- Hey, hey, hey! - Come on, don't be ridiculous! Don't do that! Stop it! Stop it right now! Both of you! Now, you're angry.
You wanna lash out.
You feel betrayed, right? Throw it over.
What? Yes, that's right.
Show him.
Just do it, Marcus.
Just throw it over.
What are you doing? Marcus and I are having a conversation.
Your prototype.
Your invention.
This is important to you.
Don't patronize me.
I-I-I wouldn't dare do anything like that.
Very few people can create something.
Most people, they comment on it.
They buy things.
They sell things.
And we understand that, right? Sure.
You need to fix this.
That's exactly what we're gonna do.
So that it stays with me.
The prototype stays with me.
I can't promise you that.
Never gonna happen.
My work is my life.
There's no separation.
I understand that.
But if we can just go downstairs, Marcus, we can talk about this.
If I can't have it, there's no reason to live.
Marcus, just-- - Stay off that ledge! - No, Marcus! No, no, no! No.
No.
John is gonna leave now.
Go call the police.
Okay, Marcus.
It's just you and me.
You leave, too.
Sorry.
I'm not going anywhere.
Marcus, you know how you were talking about your work and your life being inseparable.
I feel the exact same way.
So I'm working, and I can't leave.
I've been fired before.
A few times.
Well, many times, actually.
Is this your first? I don't care about this stupid job.
Well, you gotta care about something, or else you would've jumped.
Back home in Kansas, I worked in a packing plant.
The night shift.
So that I could spend all day in the garage working on the 451.
That was my life.
Marcus, you had a dream.
Tell me about it.
It's so good to see you, Valerie.
Thank you.
You, too.
It's been too long.
By the way, you did an excellent job with the Cole-Brenner acquisition.
Well, thank you.
It was a complicated transaction, and yet, you made it seem effortless.
Well, I'm just glad the indemnification clause worked out.
So tell me, Valerie, what can I do for you today? Kevin and I have a-- it's a personal matter.
Something maybe Kate could handle.
- Kate.
- Yeah.
I-I think her skills as a mediator might be necessary.
Oh, Valerie.
I assure you that whatever it is, I can handle it.
Please have a seat.
What is it? It sounds serious.
Kevin and I are adopting a child.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
- Wow, that's wonderful.
- It's so exciting.
But of course, not without its complications.
Mm-hmm.
Paperwork requires that I show a certificate of divorce for my first marriage.
Okay.
There isn't one.
Wh--it's been lost? It doesn't exist.
Apparently, my previous husband, Nick, didn't file his dissolution, so we are still legally married.
Well, that's a simple paperwork issue.
It's bigamy.
No, there's no intent.
All we need is for Nick to re-sign and file.
Really, it's no problem.
Have you been in contact with him? No, he won't have anything to do with me.
I see.
Well, there are a number of legal options we can pursue.
I can file a motion to compel.
Lauren, there's no time.
I have to have this settled this weekend, or else Kevin and I are gonna have to start the whole process all over again.
Well, I will personally make sure that it does not come to that.
Here, look.
Write down Nick's contact information for me, and I'll take care of it.
Okay.
Water? Yes, please.
And what are these? His coordinates.
Hi, Leonardo.
Are we still on for our coffee date later? Something has come up, actually.
- Anything wrong? - Exactly the opposite.
You know, uh, Total Eclipse? Only the best graphic novel company there is.
They've issued an open call to artists.
Really? That's so cool.
Is that what you're working on? If by "working on" you mean failing miserably, then, uh, yes.
So I'm sorry to cancel, but you know, this-- this could be my chance to hit the big time.
I totally get it.
Can I take a look? Um, actually, uh, no.
It is, uh, not ready, not good, not fit for human consumption.
Okay.
I'll stop bothering you.
Don't think I played that right.
When you were in Kansas, trying to invent something that nobody had seen, something beyond what all of those engineers in Silicon Valley could even dream of, did you ever get discouraged? Sure.
Did you think about going on a roof and jumping then? No.
Because that's not who you are.
Marcus.
Just come down.
All right.
You're on a ledge, right? You kind of knew they were coming.
It's okay.
I'm Detective Harrington.
I'll take it from here.
Yeah, uh, well, that's okay, 'cause I've got this.
- I'm sorry, who are you? - My name is Kate Reed.
I'm a negotiator from the D.
A.
's office.
Okay, nobody told me a negotiator was here.
Well, just call Justin Patrick.
He's an A.
D.
A, and he'll vouch for me.
Okay, look, lady.
You need to let me step in.
- Tell him to get back.
- Uh, yeah.
Can you get back? Are they making you nervous? Yeah.
Yeah, they're making me nervous, too.
I've almost got through to him.
Okay.
Let's go.
I'm not leaving.
Okay, all right.
All right.
Marcus, they're all the way back there, okay? I'm right here.
It's just you and me.
Oh.
I don't know what to do with this.
What's this? Coordinates? Easy peasy.
How long will it take you to get me actual directions? Uh, seven seconds.
And you can time me.
I'm serious.
Time me.
Stop.
Nine seconds.
I need a new printer.
It's not the printer.
My character mechanism is really messed up.
Thank you, Leonardo.
Next time, be faster.
I will.
Because I'm getting a new printer.
You told me that your life is your work.
Your work is in that backpack.
And that's all that matters to you.
So, then, why would you destroy everything that matters to you? It's hard to think when you're on that ledge.
Marcus, come down.
I'll make sure that you're treated fairly.
You haven't hurt anyone.
Please come down.
This way.
I want my property back.
We're gonna need the backpack.
Let's go.
Where's the prototype? Where's the 451? Come on.
All right.
Watch your head.
Hey! Where are you taking him? Hey! Sir, you're gonna need to calm down.
We're gonna get to the bottom of this, okay? Well, let's get to the bottom of something.
Give me one second.
We're gonna get-- Where are they taking Marcus? He's going to St.
Mary's for a psych evaluation.
Why is no one interrogating him? - Please, sir.
- John, John.
Marcus obviously blew a circuit.
He cracked under the pressure of what we do here.
I've seen it before.
I was able to get through to him once.
I promise you I can do it again.
Yeah, you were great.
He's fired.
But now he's a thief.
So it's out of your hands.
Hey, how do I get my prototype back? You'll need to file a report down at the station.
- Ready when you are.
- Okay, okay, wait, John.
Listen to me.
You are my client.
I promise you I'll see this through.
Kate.
Hey, I got a call you were on the roof.
Are you okay? Yes, yes, I'm perfect.
I'm great.
Just a mediation went bad.
A guy went crazy, and now the prototype is missing.
Hey, you told the cops you worked for the D.
A.
's office? Well, I was hired to do a seminar.
Which you didn't show up to.
Yeah, and you know what? It's a good thing that I didn't because if I did, the seminar would be over, and then I would be a liar.
Excuse me.
Nick Grunyan? Who wants to know? Hi, my name is Lauren Reed.
Uh, I'm an attorney.
You used to be married to a woman named Valerie Donovan.
What about her? Well, she and her husband are trying to adopt a child.
But they have a paperwork problem.
Uh-huh.
Apparently, you never signed your entry of judgment.
Technically, you're still married to her.
Oh, really.
So I brought you some new divorce papers to sign.
- That's their problem.
- Sorry? I'm not signing any papers.
Uh-huh.
Okay, um, well, you do understand you're not in a relationship with Valerie anymore.
Valerie and I made vows to each other.
Till death do us part.
You've been parted for a while now.
We made a commitment to each other.
All right? And I never waver on my commitments.
How do you do that, exactly? By, uh, hiding out here in the woods? Huh.
I'm not hiding.
Really? What's your address? Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
Nick, you made a commitment.
But you're belittling.
Now, if you're really a man of honor, you will honor your marital contract by coming in to my office and speaking with your wife.
No, I just think this is something we need to deal with before tomorrow.
Morning.
Yeah, well, then just email it over.
That's fine.
Good.
All right, thanks.
Oh.
Is that poisoned? - It's decaf.
- Are you trying to kill me? I'm just concerned about your health.
Okay, what are the updates on Marcus? Well, he spent the night under observation.
He's not suicidal.
Shrink just says it was some sort of crisis impulse.
Oh, well, I could have told you that.
He picked the closest door.
It happened to lead to the roof.
Police are taking him to be processed now.
He's going to jail? Look, he's got something that doesn't belong to him.
It's a crime.
- He invented it! - He signed it away.
Yeah, but I doubt he even understood what he was signing.
- Kate.
- Okay, what--what-- what if he gave the prototype back? It would help.
But Harrington talked to him at the hospital.
He is not being cooperative at all.
Oh, he'll talk to me.
Is that what your client wants? John wants the prototype.
It's Detective Harrington's case now.
Then I should find Detective Harrington's number.
- No--hey, no, no, no.
- Excuse me.
No, no, don't--don't--no.
Was that important? Hi, Kim.
Kim, wait.
Kim.
Oh, hello.
Hey, you, uh, didn't come by today.
Well, I just didn't think you were interested in my sandwiches anymore.
What? I adore your sandwiches.
My day isn't complete without a ham and swiss.
Not this one, though.
But this one.
I got money at my desk.
So, um, how are your sketches coming for the graphic novel contest? Worse than yesterday.
You know, I wanna give them a new hero.
Something totally original.
But my brain is just-- it's choking.
You need some inspiration.
I do.
Maybe you need a model.
That's an interesting concept.
A muse? Oh, you mean, like, you? I'd love to do it.
But you're a busy, hardworking woman with a small business to run.
I will make the time.
The creative vortex of my mind is no place for a nice girl like you to wander into.
Leonardo, I know just how to inspire you.
Okay, come on.
You didn't get anything out of Marcus, did you? You didn't.
You didn't, right? Ten minutes? All right, you find out anything, you call me.
- I promise.
- Okay, ten minutes.
Okay, great.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
You look very dapper in that suit today.
I'll be in my office.
Okay.
Great.
Since you came into my life, I've gone from standing on a rooftop to being locked in this room.
Well, it is a new day.
Why are you here? Marcus.
I meant it when I said I could help.
You can get me out? Maybe.
But first, I need a sign of good faith from you.
Like what? Tell me where the prototype is.
No.
Look, at the very least, I can enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that John won't make millions off of my idea.
Is that really gonna make you happy? When you're sitting all alone in your cell? If I tell you, can you guarantee that you will get me out of here? Okay, let me make a few phone calls.
Don't go anywhere.
Now, Marcus.
I have gotten as close to a guarantee as I'm gonna get.
But I've written down the name of a top-notch defense attorney, just in case.
That's my show of good faith.
So.
Now it's your turn.
Where is the prototype? It's in the, uh, Sci-Fi section of the public library between Asimov and Bradbury.
Clever.
You're good.
You're very good.
Oh, uh, one more thing.
Do you have any family members you want me to call? Yeah.
You can just write down their name and number.
I'll be more than happy to phone them.
I have a sister.
She's very important to me.
In fact, she's all I've got.
She's in good hands.
Hi.
Can I help you? I'm Kate Reed.
From yesterday? The man on the roof.
Remember that? - Oh.
- Oh, my gosh.
That was crazy, wasn't it? I hope Marcus is okay.
Oh, me, too.
I think he's gonna be fine, though.
Oh, good.
Yeah.
So how can I help you? Oh, yes, of course.
Um, actually, I'm here to see John Marsden.
Mm, I'm afraid he's not in right now.
Well, he's just expecting some really important information from me.
Oh.
Um, could you-- could you find out when he's gonna be back? Of course.
Um, let me go ask.
Okay, sure.
That'd be great.
Thank you.
Now, Leo, now.
I'm on it.
This'll just take a second.
Sure, sure, sure.
Marsden Technologies.
Uh, yes.
Can I speak to John Marshall, please? There's no John Marshall here.
Uh, but this is Marshall Technologies, right? He's, like, the CEO.
How do you not know that? Um, no.
Actually, it's Marsden Technologies.
Yeah, John Marsden is the CEO.
I'm just gonna go sit over there.
Okay.
Well, put John Marshall Marsden on the line, please.
I'll be waiting over there.
Okay, yeah.
I-I'm sorry.
Mr.
Marsden isn't in right now, so I'll put you through to his voice mail.
Okay, that would be fine.
Marsden Technologies.
Yeah, hey, can I get a price on a rocket? Excuse me? How much for a rocket over here? Sir, we don't deal in rockets.
Never gonna get anybody to Mars if you don't build rockets.
It's the bus of the future.
I don't understand.
This is, uh, Martian Technologies, right? No, it's not Martian Technologies.
It's Marsden Technologies.
Not martian.
Hi, um, Marcus is-- He's over there.
Right there.
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah.
That's right.
I remember.
Um, hi, I-I'm calling about my rental car.
The car is making kind of--of a funny noise.
It's just like a bb-bb-bb-db-db-db.
- We don't build rockets.
- Hey, why not? Marsden Technologies.
Yes, um, I'm looking for a certain herb.
And I believe this is the place that I was to call to receive that herb.
- Bye.
- Should the herb-- Yeah, no, and--and--and if-- Ms.
Reed.
Sorry.
If this car explodes, it is not my fault.
If you could just come back to the front.
Yes, of course.
Rental car companies.
You know what? I can see that you're busy.
So I'm gonna go grab a coffee.
Okay.
And maybe when I come back, John'll be here.
I'll let him know you stopped by.
Great, thank you so much.
Thank you.
- Marsden Technologies.
- Got it.
I appreciate you coming into the city, Nick.
Where's your guy? This is between you and me.
These are standard divorce forms for the state of California.
If you could just sign by the x-- I told you.
I'm not signing divorce papers.
Well, this is a no-fault state, Nick.
You will be divorcing Valerie.
It's just a matter of when.
You knew who I was when you married me.
You knew my ethics, my core beliefs.
You're talking to me about ethics? We stood before friends and family and swore that we'd spend our lives together.
Our entire lives.
I changed, Nick.
Yeah, I know.
It doesn't matter.
Of course it doesn't matter.
The only thing that matters is what Nick thinks.
That's your core belief.
Okay, you know, I don't think the two of you are ever going to agree about why your marriage didn't work.
But the point is, it didn't.
And now it's over.
I'm leaving.
Nick, come on.
Please.
Don't worry about it.
We'll drill him in court.
There's no time.
I'm off to meet Justin.
Hey, can I have a moment of your time? I'm listening.
Well, I just need your advice on a, uh, personal matter.
That fills me with a mix of curiosity and terror.
I'm creating a character for this graphic novel contest.
Yeah? And Kim, the sandwich girl-- Your sandwich girl.
She wants to model for me.
Oh, nice, Leo.
Nice! The thing is-- and don't get me wrong, because I find Kim to be muy caliente-- but women in graphic novels are more, uh-- shhhoo-boosh, shhhoo-boosh, you know? Mm.
And Kim's more, um-- nyeeeroompf.
- No.
- Real.
Yes.
The point is, in order to win the contest, I may have to embellish her personality.
But if I don't draw her the way she is, she's gonna be insulted.
Right? This is my Sophie's Choice.
I have to go.
Leo's got a girl! Ah! Hey, okay, I can't actually know what this is for.
Okay, you want me to hypnotize you or something? 'Cause I don't know how to do that.
Just please don't tell the guy where the money came from, okay? Justin, bail bondsmen, they don't care where the money came from.
- I meant the other guy.
- Okay, okay.
I got it.
Justin, I'll pay you back.
I promise.
- Yeah, you will.
- Thank you.
Look, I wouldn't even ask.
It's just, I don't have enough money in my checking account.
Doesn't bailing a client out of jail cross a line of some sort? No, no, no.
John's my client.
So then why are you helping Marcus? Well, because Marcus's friends are scared to help him.
His account's on administrative freeze.
So he can't bail himself out.
Oh, the world is full of stray puppies, isn't it? Oh, you say that like it's a bad thing, Justin.
Oh, I love puppies.
You don't have a puppy.
I love them from a distance.
- That's not love.
- Hm.
You know, I would bail you out.
Yeah, with my money.
With whatever it takes.
So is this kid gonna give up the device or what? It's gonna help his case.
Okay, you don't actually want to know if I'm in possession of stolen property or not.
- No.
- But I will tell you this.
If I were, I wouldn't give it up until he gets out of jail because I'm using it for leverage.
You.
Underneath that hard shell of yours, there is a soft candy center.
No, there's not.
I just know that if I don't give you the money, you will do something stupid to get it.
And you say you don't know me.
Hold on, hold on.
I got your message.
You have the 451? John Marsden is here.
Uh, thank you.
Yes, yes, I do.
So the library was a wild goose chase.
Staged by you.
Look, you hired me to mediate the terms of Marcus's firing.
And we're gonna do just that.
And afterwards, you get your device back.
That's extortion.
No, it's not.
It's fair.
Now, Marcus told me that you referred him to Meyerson and Strauss to review his original contract.
Is that correct? They're a terrific firm.
Yes, they are.
And they've done millions of dollars' worth of work for you.
Now, I'm sure that they've had Marcus's best interests at heart.
Oh, wait a minute.
No, they didn't.
And that's not fair.
But they sure did pull through for you.
Hey, Leo.
Coming.
You didn't meet Leo, my assistant, when you rushed in.
Hey, man, how you doing? Leonardo.
Let's get on with this.
Okay.
Item number one.
Uh, Marcus's termination clause specifies that dismissal for cause within five years invalidates all stock grants.
Industry standard would be all unvested grants.
Now, John, I assume that you are fine with switching to industry standard.
Do I have a choice? Absolutely not.
Leo.
- There you go.
- What's that? It's your power management controller.
I thought it was really cool how you grounded the circuits in glass.
You took the prototype apart? John, we're just trying to keep you movated.
Item number two.
In exchange for a standard reversion clause related to intellectual property rights, we have the one and only Tiny little flat thing.
It's a flexible li-ion battery.
Really cool, actually.
Here you go.
You need a bag or anything for stuff like this? Okay, moving along to the vesting schedule.
Ooh, that's gotta be worth two components.
Oh, absolutely.
John.
It's a show of good faith.
What the hell are you doing? Physical labor.
Ah, really understand the appeal.
Why are you here? Well, I have a few questions for you, Nick.
When exactly were you and Valerie married? April 13, 1990.
And subsequently, you both agreed to divorce.
Well, we talked about it, but-- but you filled out the papers together, didn't you? Yeah, but there was-- and you promised to file them, didn't you? I thought about it, and I changed my mind.
Too late.
What does that mean? Oral agreements are valid and enforceable under the California Commercial Code.
And it's well established by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that amounts paid in reliance to an oral contract are recoverable under California state law.
What amounts are you talking about? Well, Valerie remarried.
Lovely ceremony, by the way.
Must have cost at least $50,000.
Oh, too bad I didn't get my invite.
Yeah, especially since you're on the hook for half.
Are you threatening me? Do you even have that kind of money? H-how much would you say this little cabin is worth? I will fight you tooth and nail.
I will not violate my principles.
And I will subpoena your ass back to civilization and then rip you to shreds in a court of law.
Sign the divorce papers.
Do not make me come back here.
Kate Reed's office.
John Marsden's on his way up.
Why is he coming back? I don't know.
He blew past reception.
John.
Give me the integration controller.
The what? I-I-I'm-- I don't even know what that is.
It's the thing that makes the 451 the 451.
Okay, um, I don't have it.
We reassembled the prototype.
It didn't work.
You gave me a dummy chip with three pages of text instead of the integration controller.
Oh.
Those were all the parts that we had.
- Yeah.
- Who took the 451 apart? Look, John, that doesn't matter.
What matters is that-- Marcus did, didn't he? Damn it.
He kept the controller.
Okay, I-- John, I'm not exactly sure what happened.
Oh, I'll tell you what happened.
Marcus screwed you as badly as he screwed me.
John, I'm gonna get that controller back.
I promise you.
You're not going anywhere.
I'm calling Detective Harrington.
You and Marcus can both rot in jail, for all I care.
- Sorry.
- Get outta my way! Come on! It was like a tango there for a second.
Come have a fresca.
- Hey, Kate.
- Save it.
This whole nice kid from Kansas act? I'm not buying it anymore.
I don't understand.
I lied to the police for you.
I trespassed into your office.
I bailed you out of jail.
I bargained in good faith on your behalf, and then you just threw me under the bus.
No, I didn't.
I gave John all the prototype pieces that you gave to me.
The 451, it doesn't work.
Maybe he put it together wrong.
Not according to the engineers.
All the engineers at Marsden? What, they-- they're now wrong? Those guys couldn't assemble a calculator.
Don't believe them.
You lie to me one more time, I'm gonna take you on top of that rooftop and throw you over myself.
I kludged it.
You what? I kludged it.
Okay, now you're just making up stuff to get me to stop yelling at you, Marcus.
No, no, it means I-I-I faked a fix to a problem.
I made it look like the prototype worked in demonstrations, but it doesn't.
I couldn't tell anyone.
I'm sorry I lied to you.
It-- it--did it ever work? It can.
It just-- it just has some bugs.
So that's why all the secrecy and the defiance? You knew it wouldn't be ready in time for the Consumer Electronics Show.
I promised it, and I couldn't deliver.
I still can, though.
It's my invention.
Don't let them take it away from me before it's finished.
I really do appreciate everything you've done, Lauren.
We have another acquisition in the works.
Meadowbrook Industries.
It's yours.
Well, thank you.
Please send over the term sheet.
I will.
We're pretty far apart.
I'll work them over with my saw.
Thank you.
Um Valerie, I hope you don't mind my asking, but, um, you and Nick I guess all I can say is that love isn't something that you can always account for.
Or predict.
Well, that I understand.
I'll see you soon.
Yeah.
I'm really excited to do this.
So am I.
I mean, I-I know how much the contest means to you.
- Kim, before we start-- - Mm-hmm? Um, there are two kinds of art.
Mm-hmm.
There's figurative, and there's abstract.
And, um, one is real And the other one is, uh, it's bigger.
Less real.
Okay.
I just want you to know that I might take some artistic license.
Oh, yeah, I get it.
I've actually modeled for art school classes before.
You have? Mm-hmm.
I'm very comfortable with my body.
You are? That--that--that's great.
That's really-- that's really great.
So you do what you want, okay? I am just the model.
Okay.
Ready? I am so inspired.
Hey.
Hi.
Thanks for coming.
The next company I build, no rooftop.
This isn't the first company you've started.
No, I've founded at least a dozen.
Invested in hundreds.
And how do you decide what to invest in? Research.
Risk analysis.
Evaluation.
Numbers.
You're a numbers man.
Okay.
What? Yet.
It has some bugs.
And Marcus can fix them, but not before the show.
So that's why he panicked.
Oh, my God.
It's a disaster.
Well, maybe, but maybe not.
Now, here are some numbers for ya.
That is a five story drop.
About 50, 60 feet.
Chance of survival, less than 5%.
Now, how many people do you know are willing to die for their work? This conversation going somewhere? You've invested a lot of money in a smart guy with a great idea.
Don't give up on him.
Why? Because you say so? Look at the fall he was willing to take.
Look past the numbers, John.
Listen to your gut.
Because that's what this is really about, isn't it? Dreamers come to you because you make their ideas real.
And you do it not just for the money, but because you wanna be a part of those dreams.
Now, there was once a time when you were a little crazy.
When you would've stood up on this ledge.
And if you don't believe in their dreams, how can anyone else? You're good.
So he'll let me keep working on it? Uh, yeah.
You get your job back.
Here, have a seat.
Uh, everything returns to the way it was, except you get more time.
How much? As much as you need.
John believes in you and your idea.
He wants to see this work.
I don't know what to say.
This is great.
You know what, though? This time, Marcus, you need to talk to people.
You need to tell them about your problems and your, uh, kludges, and the little bugs, and the-- All the problems.
They--they want the same thing as you.
Okay.
Marcus.
I will.
Okay, good.
Oh, and this.
Uh, this is the new contract for you to sign.
Is it better? It's not as sucky.
And don't tell anybody that I told you this, but there are times when you need a good lawyer to protect your interests.
And this is definitely one of those times.
What if I can never get this thing to work the way it's supposed to? I believe you will.
Thank you, Kate.
You're very welcome.
Oh, and Marcus, um, when that 451 comes out, I don't wanna be standing in line.
You got it? And in so many ways, mediation is a better way to resolve disputes.
It is faster than the court system.
It is more private.
It's not limited by rules of evidence or by procedure.
Um, and most importantly, the solution does not come from some old fat guy in a robe.
It's coming from you.
Great.
So thank you so much.
Thank you for coming.
And don't forget to get your certificates of attendance.
And those count for six C.
L.
E.
credits, as promised.
Well, that was an interesting argument about mediation being better than litigation.
It was wrong, but it was interesting.
Oh, you just lost three credits right there, buddy.
By the way, that's my computer that you're using for your little powerpoint presentation.
No, it's not.
This is mine.
I bought it.
Yeah, you bought it for me.
No, for me.
You just started using it.
That's all.
All right, sue me.
Ha, ha.
Mediate me.
Is that a challenge? Okay, yeah.
My way? I take you to court.
I enter the receipt as evidence.
I move for summary judgment.
I win.
You win the computer, but then you lose my respect.
And your way? It's just us.
Behind closed doors? Yes.
And it's very confidential.
That's very intriguing.
And we don't come out until both of us are satisfied.
I am beginning to see the advantages of mediation.
I knew you would.
Okay.
Oh, yeah.
I probably should take this.
My phone rang too.
This mediation's not over.
You bet your ass it isn't.
- Justin Patrick.
- Kate Reed.
Yeah, damn right you are.
Justin? My caller ID said Wait are you calli Why Are you calling me from Leo's phone? Because you've got a conference room full of A.
D.
A.
s waiting for you, ready for some continuing legal education, remember? No, no, no, no, no.
The C.
L.
E.
Seminar isn't until this afternoon.
- Yeah, well, we moved it up.
- When? All right, just put-- put Leo on the phone, please.
Sent you an email.
He sent you an email.
Okay, uh, look.
Justin, I am going into this meeting right now.
Marsden Technologies.
It is super important, and I-I'm really, really sorry.
Listen, we are taking time out of our schedules to come to your office to listen to your seminar on the wonders of mediation.
And to drink all the coffee and eat all the black and white cookies.
That's a very needy group.
Can we-- can we just reschedule? - Kate.
- I promise you.
I'm gonna give you the best seminar you have ever heard on alternative dispute mediation, and you are each gonna get three C.
L.
E.
credits.
- You can't just-- - Six.
Did I say three? I totally meant six.
Okay, fine.
Fine.
Uh, Friday at 3:00.
I'll move the staff meeting.
Yes, Friday at 3:00.
I'll be there.
My schedule is open.
I have nothing.
I'm all yours.
No, she's got an appointment.
Don't miss it.
Unbelievable.
Nobody listens.
- John.
- Ms.
Reed.
Hi.
Thanks for coming on such short notice.
Oh, sure.
Um, I'm just playing catch-up here, though.
What exactly is the 451? The 451 is basically the holy grail of e-readers.
It's thin, flexible, waterproof, and has a very long battery life.
Can we get a security pass, please? Then why are you firing the guy who invented it? Marcus is a brilliant kid.
He created the 451 in his garage.
Thank you.
Yeah, we're introducing it to the world at the Consumer Electronics Show in three weeks.
Everybody's been working horrendous hours trying to get ready for this show, except Marcus.
He's been missing meetings, going AWOL for days at a time.
He's got the prototype, and he hasn't even let me see it for a week.
So you want me to settle out the contract and get the prototype back? Exactly.
This way.
Marcus.
- Who's she? - Hi.
My name is Kate Reed.
I'm a mediator.
Sit.
Marcus, I'm here to walk you through your termination.
Termination? You're firing me? I am so sorry, but you're no longer an employee of Marsden Technologies.
Now, I want to walk you through your contract and make sure that you get everything that you are entitled to.
First, I want the 451 prototype, and I want it now.
John, let's just talk for a minute.
No, he carries it around in that little backpack of his, like he owns it.
The rest of us need to work on it, too.
Look, I'm just working out the last few bugs.
You've had your chance.
Time's up.
Marcus.
I'm here to make sure that you are treated fairly.
Yeah, right.
Now, uh, when you signed the employee agreement-- Marcus.
Marcus! This is John Marsden.
Stop Marcus at the front desk.
Do not let him leave this building.
What's that? Fire door.
Marcus! - Gimme the prototype.
- What are you doing? - It's not yours! - Oh, yes it is.
Because you have a piece of paper that says that? - Hold on, all right, John? - You signed over the rights.
- Hey, hey, hey! - Come on, don't be ridiculous! Don't do that! Stop it! Stop it right now! Both of you! Now, you're angry.
You wanna lash out.
You feel betrayed, right? Throw it over.
What? Yes, that's right.
Show him.
Just do it, Marcus.
Just throw it over.
What are you doing? Marcus and I are having a conversation.
Your prototype.
Your invention.
This is important to you.
Don't patronize me.
I-I-I wouldn't dare do anything like that.
Very few people can create something.
Most people, they comment on it.
They buy things.
They sell things.
And we understand that, right? Sure.
You need to fix this.
That's exactly what we're gonna do.
So that it stays with me.
The prototype stays with me.
I can't promise you that.
Never gonna happen.
My work is my life.
There's no separation.
I understand that.
But if we can just go downstairs, Marcus, we can talk about this.
If I can't have it, there's no reason to live.
Marcus, just-- - Stay off that ledge! - No, Marcus! No, no, no! No.
No.
John is gonna leave now.
Go call the police.
Okay, Marcus.
It's just you and me.
You leave, too.
Sorry.
I'm not going anywhere.
Marcus, you know how you were talking about your work and your life being inseparable.
I feel the exact same way.
So I'm working, and I can't leave.
I've been fired before.
A few times.
Well, many times, actually.
Is this your first? I don't care about this stupid job.
Well, you gotta care about something, or else you would've jumped.
Back home in Kansas, I worked in a packing plant.
The night shift.
So that I could spend all day in the garage working on the 451.
That was my life.
Marcus, you had a dream.
Tell me about it.
It's so good to see you, Valerie.
Thank you.
You, too.
It's been too long.
By the way, you did an excellent job with the Cole-Brenner acquisition.
Well, thank you.
It was a complicated transaction, and yet, you made it seem effortless.
Well, I'm just glad the indemnification clause worked out.
So tell me, Valerie, what can I do for you today? Kevin and I have a-- it's a personal matter.
Something maybe Kate could handle.
- Kate.
- Yeah.
I-I think her skills as a mediator might be necessary.
Oh, Valerie.
I assure you that whatever it is, I can handle it.
Please have a seat.
What is it? It sounds serious.
Kevin and I are adopting a child.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
- Wow, that's wonderful.
- It's so exciting.
But of course, not without its complications.
Mm-hmm.
Paperwork requires that I show a certificate of divorce for my first marriage.
Okay.
There isn't one.
Wh--it's been lost? It doesn't exist.
Apparently, my previous husband, Nick, didn't file his dissolution, so we are still legally married.
Well, that's a simple paperwork issue.
It's bigamy.
No, there's no intent.
All we need is for Nick to re-sign and file.
Really, it's no problem.
Have you been in contact with him? No, he won't have anything to do with me.
I see.
Well, there are a number of legal options we can pursue.
I can file a motion to compel.
Lauren, there's no time.
I have to have this settled this weekend, or else Kevin and I are gonna have to start the whole process all over again.
Well, I will personally make sure that it does not come to that.
Here, look.
Write down Nick's contact information for me, and I'll take care of it.
Okay.
Water? Yes, please.
And what are these? His coordinates.
Hi, Leonardo.
Are we still on for our coffee date later? Something has come up, actually.
- Anything wrong? - Exactly the opposite.
You know, uh, Total Eclipse? Only the best graphic novel company there is.
They've issued an open call to artists.
Really? That's so cool.
Is that what you're working on? If by "working on" you mean failing miserably, then, uh, yes.
So I'm sorry to cancel, but you know, this-- this could be my chance to hit the big time.
I totally get it.
Can I take a look? Um, actually, uh, no.
It is, uh, not ready, not good, not fit for human consumption.
Okay.
I'll stop bothering you.
Don't think I played that right.
When you were in Kansas, trying to invent something that nobody had seen, something beyond what all of those engineers in Silicon Valley could even dream of, did you ever get discouraged? Sure.
Did you think about going on a roof and jumping then? No.
Because that's not who you are.
Marcus.
Just come down.
All right.
You're on a ledge, right? You kind of knew they were coming.
It's okay.
I'm Detective Harrington.
I'll take it from here.
Yeah, uh, well, that's okay, 'cause I've got this.
- I'm sorry, who are you? - My name is Kate Reed.
I'm a negotiator from the D.
A.
's office.
Okay, nobody told me a negotiator was here.
Well, just call Justin Patrick.
He's an A.
D.
A, and he'll vouch for me.
Okay, look, lady.
You need to let me step in.
- Tell him to get back.
- Uh, yeah.
Can you get back? Are they making you nervous? Yeah.
Yeah, they're making me nervous, too.
I've almost got through to him.
Okay.
Let's go.
I'm not leaving.
Okay, all right.
All right.
Marcus, they're all the way back there, okay? I'm right here.
It's just you and me.
Oh.
I don't know what to do with this.
What's this? Coordinates? Easy peasy.
How long will it take you to get me actual directions? Uh, seven seconds.
And you can time me.
I'm serious.
Time me.
Stop.
Nine seconds.
I need a new printer.
It's not the printer.
My character mechanism is really messed up.
Thank you, Leonardo.
Next time, be faster.
I will.
Because I'm getting a new printer.
You told me that your life is your work.
Your work is in that backpack.
And that's all that matters to you.
So, then, why would you destroy everything that matters to you? It's hard to think when you're on that ledge.
Marcus, come down.
I'll make sure that you're treated fairly.
You haven't hurt anyone.
Please come down.
This way.
I want my property back.
We're gonna need the backpack.
Let's go.
Where's the prototype? Where's the 451? Come on.
All right.
Watch your head.
Hey! Where are you taking him? Hey! Sir, you're gonna need to calm down.
We're gonna get to the bottom of this, okay? Well, let's get to the bottom of something.
Give me one second.
We're gonna get-- Where are they taking Marcus? He's going to St.
Mary's for a psych evaluation.
Why is no one interrogating him? - Please, sir.
- John, John.
Marcus obviously blew a circuit.
He cracked under the pressure of what we do here.
I've seen it before.
I was able to get through to him once.
I promise you I can do it again.
Yeah, you were great.
He's fired.
But now he's a thief.
So it's out of your hands.
Hey, how do I get my prototype back? You'll need to file a report down at the station.
- Ready when you are.
- Okay, okay, wait, John.
Listen to me.
You are my client.
I promise you I'll see this through.
Kate.
Hey, I got a call you were on the roof.
Are you okay? Yes, yes, I'm perfect.
I'm great.
Just a mediation went bad.
A guy went crazy, and now the prototype is missing.
Hey, you told the cops you worked for the D.
A.
's office? Well, I was hired to do a seminar.
Which you didn't show up to.
Yeah, and you know what? It's a good thing that I didn't because if I did, the seminar would be over, and then I would be a liar.
Excuse me.
Nick Grunyan? Who wants to know? Hi, my name is Lauren Reed.
Uh, I'm an attorney.
You used to be married to a woman named Valerie Donovan.
What about her? Well, she and her husband are trying to adopt a child.
But they have a paperwork problem.
Uh-huh.
Apparently, you never signed your entry of judgment.
Technically, you're still married to her.
Oh, really.
So I brought you some new divorce papers to sign.
- That's their problem.
- Sorry? I'm not signing any papers.
Uh-huh.
Okay, um, well, you do understand you're not in a relationship with Valerie anymore.
Valerie and I made vows to each other.
Till death do us part.
You've been parted for a while now.
We made a commitment to each other.
All right? And I never waver on my commitments.
How do you do that, exactly? By, uh, hiding out here in the woods? Huh.
I'm not hiding.
Really? What's your address? Excuse me.
Excuse me.
Thank you.
Nick, you made a commitment.
But you're belittling.
Now, if you're really a man of honor, you will honor your marital contract by coming in to my office and speaking with your wife.
No, I just think this is something we need to deal with before tomorrow.
Morning.
Yeah, well, then just email it over.
That's fine.
Good.
All right, thanks.
Oh.
Is that poisoned? - It's decaf.
- Are you trying to kill me? I'm just concerned about your health.
Okay, what are the updates on Marcus? Well, he spent the night under observation.
He's not suicidal.
Shrink just says it was some sort of crisis impulse.
Oh, well, I could have told you that.
He picked the closest door.
It happened to lead to the roof.
Police are taking him to be processed now.
He's going to jail? Look, he's got something that doesn't belong to him.
It's a crime.
- He invented it! - He signed it away.
Yeah, but I doubt he even understood what he was signing.
- Kate.
- Okay, what--what-- what if he gave the prototype back? It would help.
But Harrington talked to him at the hospital.
He is not being cooperative at all.
Oh, he'll talk to me.
Is that what your client wants? John wants the prototype.
It's Detective Harrington's case now.
Then I should find Detective Harrington's number.
- No--hey, no, no, no.
- Excuse me.
No, no, don't--don't--no.
Was that important? Hi, Kim.
Kim, wait.
Kim.
Oh, hello.
Hey, you, uh, didn't come by today.
Well, I just didn't think you were interested in my sandwiches anymore.
What? I adore your sandwiches.
My day isn't complete without a ham and swiss.
Not this one, though.
But this one.
I got money at my desk.
So, um, how are your sketches coming for the graphic novel contest? Worse than yesterday.
You know, I wanna give them a new hero.
Something totally original.
But my brain is just-- it's choking.
You need some inspiration.
I do.
Maybe you need a model.
That's an interesting concept.
A muse? Oh, you mean, like, you? I'd love to do it.
But you're a busy, hardworking woman with a small business to run.
I will make the time.
The creative vortex of my mind is no place for a nice girl like you to wander into.
Leonardo, I know just how to inspire you.
Okay, come on.
You didn't get anything out of Marcus, did you? You didn't.
You didn't, right? Ten minutes? All right, you find out anything, you call me.
- I promise.
- Okay, ten minutes.
Okay, great.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
You look very dapper in that suit today.
I'll be in my office.
Okay.
Great.
Since you came into my life, I've gone from standing on a rooftop to being locked in this room.
Well, it is a new day.
Why are you here? Marcus.
I meant it when I said I could help.
You can get me out? Maybe.
But first, I need a sign of good faith from you.
Like what? Tell me where the prototype is.
No.
Look, at the very least, I can enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that John won't make millions off of my idea.
Is that really gonna make you happy? When you're sitting all alone in your cell? If I tell you, can you guarantee that you will get me out of here? Okay, let me make a few phone calls.
Don't go anywhere.
Now, Marcus.
I have gotten as close to a guarantee as I'm gonna get.
But I've written down the name of a top-notch defense attorney, just in case.
That's my show of good faith.
So.
Now it's your turn.
Where is the prototype? It's in the, uh, Sci-Fi section of the public library between Asimov and Bradbury.
Clever.
You're good.
You're very good.
Oh, uh, one more thing.
Do you have any family members you want me to call? Yeah.
You can just write down their name and number.
I'll be more than happy to phone them.
I have a sister.
She's very important to me.
In fact, she's all I've got.
She's in good hands.
Hi.
Can I help you? I'm Kate Reed.
From yesterday? The man on the roof.
Remember that? - Oh.
- Oh, my gosh.
That was crazy, wasn't it? I hope Marcus is okay.
Oh, me, too.
I think he's gonna be fine, though.
Oh, good.
Yeah.
So how can I help you? Oh, yes, of course.
Um, actually, I'm here to see John Marsden.
Mm, I'm afraid he's not in right now.
Well, he's just expecting some really important information from me.
Oh.
Um, could you-- could you find out when he's gonna be back? Of course.
Um, let me go ask.
Okay, sure.
That'd be great.
Thank you.
Now, Leo, now.
I'm on it.
This'll just take a second.
Sure, sure, sure.
Marsden Technologies.
Uh, yes.
Can I speak to John Marshall, please? There's no John Marshall here.
Uh, but this is Marshall Technologies, right? He's, like, the CEO.
How do you not know that? Um, no.
Actually, it's Marsden Technologies.
Yeah, John Marsden is the CEO.
I'm just gonna go sit over there.
Okay.
Well, put John Marshall Marsden on the line, please.
I'll be waiting over there.
Okay, yeah.
I-I'm sorry.
Mr.
Marsden isn't in right now, so I'll put you through to his voice mail.
Okay, that would be fine.
Marsden Technologies.
Yeah, hey, can I get a price on a rocket? Excuse me? How much for a rocket over here? Sir, we don't deal in rockets.
Never gonna get anybody to Mars if you don't build rockets.
It's the bus of the future.
I don't understand.
This is, uh, Martian Technologies, right? No, it's not Martian Technologies.
It's Marsden Technologies.
Not martian.
Hi, um, Marcus is-- He's over there.
Right there.
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah.
That's right.
I remember.
Um, hi, I-I'm calling about my rental car.
The car is making kind of--of a funny noise.
It's just like a bb-bb-bb-db-db-db.
- We don't build rockets.
- Hey, why not? Marsden Technologies.
Yes, um, I'm looking for a certain herb.
And I believe this is the place that I was to call to receive that herb.
- Bye.
- Should the herb-- Yeah, no, and--and--and if-- Ms.
Reed.
Sorry.
If this car explodes, it is not my fault.
If you could just come back to the front.
Yes, of course.
Rental car companies.
You know what? I can see that you're busy.
So I'm gonna go grab a coffee.
Okay.
And maybe when I come back, John'll be here.
I'll let him know you stopped by.
Great, thank you so much.
Thank you.
- Marsden Technologies.
- Got it.
I appreciate you coming into the city, Nick.
Where's your guy? This is between you and me.
These are standard divorce forms for the state of California.
If you could just sign by the x-- I told you.
I'm not signing divorce papers.
Well, this is a no-fault state, Nick.
You will be divorcing Valerie.
It's just a matter of when.
You knew who I was when you married me.
You knew my ethics, my core beliefs.
You're talking to me about ethics? We stood before friends and family and swore that we'd spend our lives together.
Our entire lives.
I changed, Nick.
Yeah, I know.
It doesn't matter.
Of course it doesn't matter.
The only thing that matters is what Nick thinks.
That's your core belief.
Okay, you know, I don't think the two of you are ever going to agree about why your marriage didn't work.
But the point is, it didn't.
And now it's over.
I'm leaving.
Nick, come on.
Please.
Don't worry about it.
We'll drill him in court.
There's no time.
I'm off to meet Justin.
Hey, can I have a moment of your time? I'm listening.
Well, I just need your advice on a, uh, personal matter.
That fills me with a mix of curiosity and terror.
I'm creating a character for this graphic novel contest.
Yeah? And Kim, the sandwich girl-- Your sandwich girl.
She wants to model for me.
Oh, nice, Leo.
Nice! The thing is-- and don't get me wrong, because I find Kim to be muy caliente-- but women in graphic novels are more, uh-- shhhoo-boosh, shhhoo-boosh, you know? Mm.
And Kim's more, um-- nyeeeroompf.
- No.
- Real.
Yes.
The point is, in order to win the contest, I may have to embellish her personality.
But if I don't draw her the way she is, she's gonna be insulted.
Right? This is my Sophie's Choice.
I have to go.
Leo's got a girl! Ah! Hey, okay, I can't actually know what this is for.
Okay, you want me to hypnotize you or something? 'Cause I don't know how to do that.
Just please don't tell the guy where the money came from, okay? Justin, bail bondsmen, they don't care where the money came from.
- I meant the other guy.
- Okay, okay.
I got it.
Justin, I'll pay you back.
I promise.
- Yeah, you will.
- Thank you.
Look, I wouldn't even ask.
It's just, I don't have enough money in my checking account.
Doesn't bailing a client out of jail cross a line of some sort? No, no, no.
John's my client.
So then why are you helping Marcus? Well, because Marcus's friends are scared to help him.
His account's on administrative freeze.
So he can't bail himself out.
Oh, the world is full of stray puppies, isn't it? Oh, you say that like it's a bad thing, Justin.
Oh, I love puppies.
You don't have a puppy.
I love them from a distance.
- That's not love.
- Hm.
You know, I would bail you out.
Yeah, with my money.
With whatever it takes.
So is this kid gonna give up the device or what? It's gonna help his case.
Okay, you don't actually want to know if I'm in possession of stolen property or not.
- No.
- But I will tell you this.
If I were, I wouldn't give it up until he gets out of jail because I'm using it for leverage.
You.
Underneath that hard shell of yours, there is a soft candy center.
No, there's not.
I just know that if I don't give you the money, you will do something stupid to get it.
And you say you don't know me.
Hold on, hold on.
I got your message.
You have the 451? John Marsden is here.
Uh, thank you.
Yes, yes, I do.
So the library was a wild goose chase.
Staged by you.
Look, you hired me to mediate the terms of Marcus's firing.
And we're gonna do just that.
And afterwards, you get your device back.
That's extortion.
No, it's not.
It's fair.
Now, Marcus told me that you referred him to Meyerson and Strauss to review his original contract.
Is that correct? They're a terrific firm.
Yes, they are.
And they've done millions of dollars' worth of work for you.
Now, I'm sure that they've had Marcus's best interests at heart.
Oh, wait a minute.
No, they didn't.
And that's not fair.
But they sure did pull through for you.
Hey, Leo.
Coming.
You didn't meet Leo, my assistant, when you rushed in.
Hey, man, how you doing? Leonardo.
Let's get on with this.
Okay.
Item number one.
Uh, Marcus's termination clause specifies that dismissal for cause within five years invalidates all stock grants.
Industry standard would be all unvested grants.
Now, John, I assume that you are fine with switching to industry standard.
Do I have a choice? Absolutely not.
Leo.
- There you go.
- What's that? It's your power management controller.
I thought it was really cool how you grounded the circuits in glass.
You took the prototype apart? John, we're just trying to keep you movated.
Item number two.
In exchange for a standard reversion clause related to intellectual property rights, we have the one and only Tiny little flat thing.
It's a flexible li-ion battery.
Really cool, actually.
Here you go.
You need a bag or anything for stuff like this? Okay, moving along to the vesting schedule.
Ooh, that's gotta be worth two components.
Oh, absolutely.
John.
It's a show of good faith.
What the hell are you doing? Physical labor.
Ah, really understand the appeal.
Why are you here? Well, I have a few questions for you, Nick.
When exactly were you and Valerie married? April 13, 1990.
And subsequently, you both agreed to divorce.
Well, we talked about it, but-- but you filled out the papers together, didn't you? Yeah, but there was-- and you promised to file them, didn't you? I thought about it, and I changed my mind.
Too late.
What does that mean? Oral agreements are valid and enforceable under the California Commercial Code.
And it's well established by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that amounts paid in reliance to an oral contract are recoverable under California state law.
What amounts are you talking about? Well, Valerie remarried.
Lovely ceremony, by the way.
Must have cost at least $50,000.
Oh, too bad I didn't get my invite.
Yeah, especially since you're on the hook for half.
Are you threatening me? Do you even have that kind of money? H-how much would you say this little cabin is worth? I will fight you tooth and nail.
I will not violate my principles.
And I will subpoena your ass back to civilization and then rip you to shreds in a court of law.
Sign the divorce papers.
Do not make me come back here.
Kate Reed's office.
John Marsden's on his way up.
Why is he coming back? I don't know.
He blew past reception.
John.
Give me the integration controller.
The what? I-I-I'm-- I don't even know what that is.
It's the thing that makes the 451 the 451.
Okay, um, I don't have it.
We reassembled the prototype.
It didn't work.
You gave me a dummy chip with three pages of text instead of the integration controller.
Oh.
Those were all the parts that we had.
- Yeah.
- Who took the 451 apart? Look, John, that doesn't matter.
What matters is that-- Marcus did, didn't he? Damn it.
He kept the controller.
Okay, I-- John, I'm not exactly sure what happened.
Oh, I'll tell you what happened.
Marcus screwed you as badly as he screwed me.
John, I'm gonna get that controller back.
I promise you.
You're not going anywhere.
I'm calling Detective Harrington.
You and Marcus can both rot in jail, for all I care.
- Sorry.
- Get outta my way! Come on! It was like a tango there for a second.
Come have a fresca.
- Hey, Kate.
- Save it.
This whole nice kid from Kansas act? I'm not buying it anymore.
I don't understand.
I lied to the police for you.
I trespassed into your office.
I bailed you out of jail.
I bargained in good faith on your behalf, and then you just threw me under the bus.
No, I didn't.
I gave John all the prototype pieces that you gave to me.
The 451, it doesn't work.
Maybe he put it together wrong.
Not according to the engineers.
All the engineers at Marsden? What, they-- they're now wrong? Those guys couldn't assemble a calculator.
Don't believe them.
You lie to me one more time, I'm gonna take you on top of that rooftop and throw you over myself.
I kludged it.
You what? I kludged it.
Okay, now you're just making up stuff to get me to stop yelling at you, Marcus.
No, no, it means I-I-I faked a fix to a problem.
I made it look like the prototype worked in demonstrations, but it doesn't.
I couldn't tell anyone.
I'm sorry I lied to you.
It-- it--did it ever work? It can.
It just-- it just has some bugs.
So that's why all the secrecy and the defiance? You knew it wouldn't be ready in time for the Consumer Electronics Show.
I promised it, and I couldn't deliver.
I still can, though.
It's my invention.
Don't let them take it away from me before it's finished.
I really do appreciate everything you've done, Lauren.
We have another acquisition in the works.
Meadowbrook Industries.
It's yours.
Well, thank you.
Please send over the term sheet.
I will.
We're pretty far apart.
I'll work them over with my saw.
Thank you.
Um Valerie, I hope you don't mind my asking, but, um, you and Nick I guess all I can say is that love isn't something that you can always account for.
Or predict.
Well, that I understand.
I'll see you soon.
Yeah.
I'm really excited to do this.
So am I.
I mean, I-I know how much the contest means to you.
- Kim, before we start-- - Mm-hmm? Um, there are two kinds of art.
Mm-hmm.
There's figurative, and there's abstract.
And, um, one is real And the other one is, uh, it's bigger.
Less real.
Okay.
I just want you to know that I might take some artistic license.
Oh, yeah, I get it.
I've actually modeled for art school classes before.
You have? Mm-hmm.
I'm very comfortable with my body.
You are? That--that--that's great.
That's really-- that's really great.
So you do what you want, okay? I am just the model.
Okay.
Ready? I am so inspired.
Hey.
Hi.
Thanks for coming.
The next company I build, no rooftop.
This isn't the first company you've started.
No, I've founded at least a dozen.
Invested in hundreds.
And how do you decide what to invest in? Research.
Risk analysis.
Evaluation.
Numbers.
You're a numbers man.
Okay.
What? Yet.
It has some bugs.
And Marcus can fix them, but not before the show.
So that's why he panicked.
Oh, my God.
It's a disaster.
Well, maybe, but maybe not.
Now, here are some numbers for ya.
That is a five story drop.
About 50, 60 feet.
Chance of survival, less than 5%.
Now, how many people do you know are willing to die for their work? This conversation going somewhere? You've invested a lot of money in a smart guy with a great idea.
Don't give up on him.
Why? Because you say so? Look at the fall he was willing to take.
Look past the numbers, John.
Listen to your gut.
Because that's what this is really about, isn't it? Dreamers come to you because you make their ideas real.
And you do it not just for the money, but because you wanna be a part of those dreams.
Now, there was once a time when you were a little crazy.
When you would've stood up on this ledge.
And if you don't believe in their dreams, how can anyone else? You're good.
So he'll let me keep working on it? Uh, yeah.
You get your job back.
Here, have a seat.
Uh, everything returns to the way it was, except you get more time.
How much? As much as you need.
John believes in you and your idea.
He wants to see this work.
I don't know what to say.
This is great.
You know what, though? This time, Marcus, you need to talk to people.
You need to tell them about your problems and your, uh, kludges, and the little bugs, and the-- All the problems.
They--they want the same thing as you.
Okay.
Marcus.
I will.
Okay, good.
Oh, and this.
Uh, this is the new contract for you to sign.
Is it better? It's not as sucky.
And don't tell anybody that I told you this, but there are times when you need a good lawyer to protect your interests.
And this is definitely one of those times.
What if I can never get this thing to work the way it's supposed to? I believe you will.
Thank you, Kate.
You're very welcome.
Oh, and Marcus, um, when that 451 comes out, I don't wanna be standing in line.
You got it? And in so many ways, mediation is a better way to resolve disputes.
It is faster than the court system.
It is more private.
It's not limited by rules of evidence or by procedure.
Um, and most importantly, the solution does not come from some old fat guy in a robe.
It's coming from you.
Great.
So thank you so much.
Thank you for coming.
And don't forget to get your certificates of attendance.
And those count for six C.
L.
E.
credits, as promised.
Well, that was an interesting argument about mediation being better than litigation.
It was wrong, but it was interesting.
Oh, you just lost three credits right there, buddy.
By the way, that's my computer that you're using for your little powerpoint presentation.
No, it's not.
This is mine.
I bought it.
Yeah, you bought it for me.
No, for me.
You just started using it.
That's all.
All right, sue me.
Ha, ha.
Mediate me.
Is that a challenge? Okay, yeah.
My way? I take you to court.
I enter the receipt as evidence.
I move for summary judgment.
I win.
You win the computer, but then you lose my respect.
And your way? It's just us.
Behind closed doors? Yes.
And it's very confidential.
That's very intriguing.
And we don't come out until both of us are satisfied.
I am beginning to see the advantages of mediation.
I knew you would.
Okay.
Oh, yeah.
I probably should take this.
My phone rang too.
This mediation's not over.
You bet your ass it isn't.
- Justin Patrick.
- Kate Reed.